University launches national test facility for floating offshore wind innovations

The facility in the University's COAST Lab will be used to test device prototypes before they are deployed in the ocean
(l-R) Dr Martyn Hann, lecturer in Coastal Engineering; Andrew Garrard CBE and Professor of Ocean Engineering, Deborah Greaves
The University of Plymouth has unveiled a game-changing facility that will be used to test state-of-the-art innovations in floating offshore wind technology.
The UK Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Test (UK FOWTT) facility is now operational within the University’s Coastal, Ocean and Sediment Transport (COAST) Laboratory.
It will enable wind speeds of between 0.5 m/s and 10 m/s to be generated which, in addition to the existing wave generation technologies, will create a scaled-down version of the ocean environment.
The combination of waves and wind will allow researchers to improve their understanding of how future technology advances could be impacted by atmospheric conditions.
It will also provide a low-risk environment in which researchers from academia and industry can test new and novel concepts.
The new facility has been funded through a grant of more than £1million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation.
It comes at a time when the sector is predicted to grow significantly, with floating offshore wind farms set to be developed in the Celtic Sea and off the coasts of Scotland and Wales.   
The UK Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Test (UK FOWTT) facility is now operational within the University’s Coastal, Ocean and Sediment Transport (COAST) Laboratory.
The UK Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Test (UK FOWTT) facility is now operational within the University’s Coastal, Ocean and Sediment Transport (COAST) Laboratory.

Floating offshore wind will play a critical role in enabling the UK to achieve its clean energy ambitions. But to fully harness the potential of emerging technologies, the whole sector needs a facility where ideas and innovations can be put through their paces.

This installation will enable that, and is an important addition to our suite of world class offshore renewable energy facilities. 

Deborah Greaves OBE FREngDeborah Greaves OBE FREng
Director of the University’s Centre for Decarbonisation and Offshore Renewable Energy

Opened in 2012, the COAST Lab – housed within the University’s Marine Building – has been used to test hundreds of ORE prototypes developed by academics, students and commercial partners.
That work has complemented the University’s research into offshore wind, wave and tidal technologies, and their potential contribution to the UK’s future clean energy mix.
To create the UK FOWTT facility, a block of nine fans has been installed above the COAST Lab’s Ocean Basin.
The fans can be rotated to replicate shifts in wind direction, allowing researchers to assess the effects of different conditions on floating offshore wind platforms and the turbines blades themselves.
The UK FOWTT facility was showcased for the first time during the Annual Assembly of the Supergen ORE Hub, which saw around 200 leading ORE experts gathering for a celebration of ORE research and industry developments.
The University has led the Hub since its inception in 2018, and last year secured an additional £7.5million in funding to accelerate the impact of current and future ORE devices and systems, and to drive the UK towards its net zero commitments.
New offshore wind testing facility
COAST Lab new offshore wind testing facility 
Andrew Garrad CBE
Andrew Garrad CBE
Andrew Garrad CBE, recently awarded the 2024 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering in recognition of his work to develop and deploy high-performance wind turbines, delivered the keynote address at the Annual Assembly. He said:
“After the huge success of bottom-fixed offshore wind – now accounting for a gobsmacking 39 per cent of the UK’s electricity – floating offshore wind is the next frontier. It has a major contribution to make, both in the UK and globally, wherever there is no shallow water. 
"Giant floating turbines present difficult engineering problems that require novel solutions. UK FOWTT is one of those solutions. Its opening today puts the UK in a leading position. Well done Plymouth!”

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Centre for Decarbonisation and Offshore Renewable Energy
COAST Lab - 2013914

Coastal, Ocean and Sediment Transport (COAST) laboratory
Supergen ORE Research Landscape

Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Hub
Celtic Sea floating offshore wind