funding news

24/07/2012 - Announcement of New Offshore Wind Research and Development Programme.

EOWP has been formulated to address challenges in the offshore wind industry, create more than 100 jobs in the UK’s energy sector and assist the UK in driving for clean energy.

The EOWP is a research and development programme that is of global importance and involves four leading energy sector companies. It was formed to look at many elements of offshore wind farm design, with the overall target of improving the viability of offshore wind, creating value for customers with reduced operational costs, and boosting confidence in the UK offshore wind market.

Following an initial memorandum of understanding between Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe, the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the project began in April 2010 and a government grant for research and development of £14 million was awarded, and is managed by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board. The four consortium members and the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills met to unveil the EOWP research programme.

SSE's Managing Director of Group Services, Jim McPhillimy, commented:

"We are delighted this programme builds on our Memorandum of Understanding with Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe to work together on the deployment of low carbon technologies. We anticipate this programme will provide real breakthroughs in the challenge to reduce the cost of energy in the offshore wind industry. We received consent to build Scotland’s first offshore wind test facility at Hunterston in North Ayrshire in February this year, and look forward to prototype turbines being installed including MPSE’s SeaAngel turbine. We are also continuing to develop our Centre of Engineering Excellence for Renewable Energy in Glasgow which includes a number of colleagues from MPSE adding their valuable engineering experience. We very much see the Efficient Offshore Wind Programme as the next step towards a sustainable offshore wind industry with SSE, MPSE, Technip and Wood Group leading the way."

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Source: www.mhips.com