UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will provide £85.6m to the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to drive development of next generation wind turbines.
The funding will help ORE Catapult expand and upgrade its testing facilities at its National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth, Northumberland.
The late-stage research and development facilities, designed for the testing of blades up to 150m and drive trains up to 23MW will help turbine manufacturers accelerate their technology development in the UK with reduced risk and enhanced reliability for a new wave of larger, more efficient machines.
Both blade and drive train capabilities will have the capacity for further expansion, to 180m and 28MW respectively, to meet future industry demand.
The new facilities will enable faster product development of turbines through test, validation and certification and are expected to prevent 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions being emitted by accelerating deployment by a minimum of eight-months.
They will also support the growth of UK supply chains and provide critical research infrastructure to support inward investment into the UK wind industry. They will also create 30 new jobs in Blyth and support five PhDs a year.
Designs are well advanced with a view to commencing construction in the near future at the Catapult’s National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth of the new blade testing facility, alongside the existing 100m blade test hall, and the major upgrade to its 15MW drive train test facility, with both expected to be fully commissioned by 2028.
ORE Catapult chief executive Andrew Jamieson said: “This investment in truly world-leading capability will keep the UK at the forefront of offshore wind technology development. It will enable ORE Catapult to continue to deliver the most advanced research and development infrastructure and expertise to the offshore wind industry, capturing the jobs and economic growth from the transition to a net zero economy.”
Science, Innovation and Research Minister Andrew Griffith added: “Putting pioneering innovation at the heart of the UK’s transition to net zero is the key to protecting our environment in a way which continues to lift living standards.
“Our £86m funding will create highly skilled and highly paid new jobs that grow the north-east and wider UK economies while pulling investment in by marking our country as a leader on technologies of the future and unashamedly open for business.
“At the same time, it strengthens the UK’s energy security in an uncertain world and helps us pivot towards the cleaner energy that can preserve our planet for generations to come.”
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