Leading figures from the renewable energy sector have gathered in Plymouth as part of a national project aimed at addressing some of the challenges the industry faces now and in the future.
More than 60 experts in marine renewable energy and offshore wind, representing both academia and industry, attended a workshop staged by the University of Plymouth.
It was the third event held as part of consultations regarding the new Supergen ORE Hub, a programme supported by both government and industry.
Launched earlier this year, the Hub will be led by Professor Deborah Greaves, Head of the School of Engineering at the University and a leading figure in the UK’s marine renewable energy research sector.
It aims to pull together for mutual benefit three related areas – wave, tidal and offshore wind – with leading figures in those fields sharing skills and expertise to address the many synergies and research challenges.
With funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, she has spent the past four months working to build the consortium that will drive the technology forward.
At the event in Plymouth, delegates discussed areas including minimising human intervention, improving communication across the sector, reducing risk, innovation in design and identifying opportunities.
Their opinions and those generated by two previous events in London focusing specifically on the offshore wind and marine sectors will now be fed into a review document which also identifies the next steps for the ORE Supergen Hub project.
Professor Greaves said:
“The UK has always been considered a world leader in this sector, but in order to maintain that position there are several challenges that need to be addressed. In recent months, I have been encouraged by the way academic and industry representatives have come together to share their existing ideas and identify ways that we can build on them. This type of coordinated approach will be crucial as the consortium advances its work, and for the benefit of the whole sector in the future.”
