Supergen ORE Hub Seventh Annual Assembly: Accelerating Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) to 2040 and beyond
Thank you for joining the Supergen ORE Hub Annual Assembly at the University of Plymouth, with a networking reception at the National Marine Aquarium. We are delighted to have been joined by over 200 delegates from across the offshore renewable energy community, and have received many positive comments about the quality of the content, research posters and discussions that were held.
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About the Assembly
We’re beginning a pivotal decade to accelerate the deployment of ORE within the UK. The journey towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 requires an acceleration in ORE research and innovation now to support the deployment of ORE through the 2030’s and 2040’s towards the 2050 target. With the UK's electricity demand expected to double by 2050, offshore renewable energy is poised to play a crucial role – as an ORE community we need to rise to this challenge, to deliver the energy transition for society.
The 2024 Supergen ORE Hub Annual Assembly – ‘Accelerating Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) to 2040 and beyond’ – aimed to inspire and support the ORE community to address this challenge. Our focus on 2040 uses this milestone as a practical focus on the route to 2050: 2040 is soon enough to be on stakeholder horizons, but far enough to be influenced by transformative research and innovation. The Assembly explored the following themes:
- Accelerating to 2040: Policy, Planning and Consenting: Securing the necessary regulatory approvals, financing and policy frameworks represents a critical step in unlocking the deployment of ORE infrastructure. Streamlining consenting processes, gaining investment confidence, and implementing supportive policies are essential to overcome barriers and accelerate the pace of development. A fourfold speed-up in consenting ORE projects is intended in the British Energy Security Strategy. This session explored:
- whether we are on track for the 2040 ORE milestones, including the innovation and infrastructure needs, the challenges to ORE policy and its implementation,
- how to balance the trilemma of climate change mitigation, biodiversity preservation and socio-economic wellbeing.
- approaches for consenting and planning permission, the timeline of the process and how it can be accelerated.
- Accelerating to 2040: Transforming Practice: Acceleration to the 2040 milestones cannot be achieved via business as usual – the journey will be eased by positive transformations of sector practices. The shared nature of our climate challenges makes building global partnerships and cross-sector collaborations a key component to create these transformations. By exchanging knowledge, resources, and expertise we can maximise our impact and work together for a clean energy mix for the future that is also sustainable and makes use of latest advances in research and innovation. This session explored:
- how research and innovation is transforming practice in ORE, and what innovations are making a difference to ORE technology at all stages of project planning, design and operation.
- how transfer and exchange of knowledge with other sectors and communities will help to achieve sustainable solutions that are essential for Net Zero.
- Accelerating to 2040: Supply Chain and People: The scale of the ORE growth to the 2040 milestone cannot be achieved by the current supply chain and requires growth, diversity and additional skills within the workforce. From next-generation wind, wave and tidal energy converters to new technologies for construction and operation, the supply chain must grow and transform to support the 2040 milestones, underpinned by research and innovation. Fostering inclusivity and diversity within the industry not only unlocks the required talent, but also fosters innovation and creates a workforce capable of driving a meaningful and just transition to a net zero carbon economy. This session explored:
- the supply chain and workforce needed to fulfil the ambitions and potential benefits to the UK economy and society from ORE projects.
- the role of research and innovation in developing the supply chain and in developing the skilled people to be on track for 2040.
Assembly content
(currently being updated)
Keynote session and Welcome
- Keynote: Amanda Solloway MP: Rt Hon MP and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Affordability and Skills) and Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) Watch the video
- Keynote: Andrew Garrad CBE: Garrad Hassan - Founder View PDF presentation
- Update on the Supergen ORE Hub - Professor Deborah Greaves OBE: University of Plymouth - Director of the Supergen ORE Hub View PDF presentation
Panel session 1: Accelerating to 2040: Policy, Planning and Consenting
- Professor David White (Chair): University of Southampton - Co-Director of the Supergen ORE Hub View PDF presentation
- Professor Henry Jeffrey: Co-Director of the Supergen ORE Hub – University of Edinburgh View PDF presentation
- Timothy Pick MBE: Chair, Offshore Wind Growth Partnership / former UK Offshore Wind Champion
- Will Apps: The Crown Estate - Offshore Wind Strategy Director
- Professor Brian Polagye: University of Washington - Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Panel session 2: Accelerating to 2040: Transforming Practice
- Professor Beth Scott (Chair): University of Aberdeen - Supergen ORE Hub Co-Director
- Professor Hongda Shi: Ocean University of China - Professor of Ocean Engineering
- Dr Okechukwu Okorie: University of Exeter - RAEng Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Manufacturing View PDF presentation
- Peter Giddings: National Composites Centre - Chief Engineer
- Amy Spalding: Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) - Portfolio Manager (Energy) View PDF presentation
Panel session 3: Accelerating to 2040: Supply Chain and People
- Professor James Gilbert (Chair): University of Hull - Co-Director of the Supergen ORE Hub
- Jane Cooper: RUK - Executive Director of Offshore Wind
- Roger Townsend: Innovate UK - Innovation Lead - Energy
- Dr Emma Edwards: University of Oxford - Career Development Fellow at St Peter's College
- Dr Mark McBride-Wright CEng MIChemE: Equal Engineers - Founder & Managing Director View PDF presentation
Flexible Funding Award Research Showcase
View information on all 40 projects from the Supergen ORE Hub Flexible Fund
- Physics-informed machine learning for rapid fatigue assessments in offshore wind farms - Callum Rothon: University of Hull - PhD student with the Aura CDT View PDF presentation
- Maximising potential of shallow ports for floating offshore wind deployment - Dr Marcin Kapitaniak: University of Aberdeen - Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering View PDF presentation and watch the video
- COrrosion And fatigue protection of offshore wind Turbine structures using additive manufacturing technology (COATing) - Professor Ali Mehmanparast: University of Strathclyde - Professor of Structural Integrity View PDF presentation
- Demonstrating a machine learning system to integrate metocean data, sensor networks, and model output for improved coverage and accuracy - Dr Ajit Pillai: University of Exeter - Senior Lecturer in Autonomous Systems and Robotics View PDF presentation and watch the video
- FASTWATER: Freely-Available mesoScale simulation Tool for Wave, Tides and Eddy Replication - Dr Brian Seller: University of Edinburgh - Chancellor's Fellow View PDF presentation
- SharEd Anchor Multidirectional Load Envelopes with Strength Synthesis (SEAMLESS) - Dr Benjamin Cerfontaine: University of Southampton - Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering Watch the video
- Improved Models for Multivariate Metocean Extremes (IMEX) - Dr Ed Mackay: University of Exeter - Research Fellow Watch the video
- Design and development of a new generation of dielectric elastomer generators for wave applications - Professor Robert Young: University of Manchester - Emeritus Professor Watch the video
- Assessment and Mitigation of Water Tree Formation in Future 132kV Wet-type Dynamic Cables - Dr Tony Lujia Chen (Senior Lecturer in High Voltage Engineering ) and Dr Christopher Emersic (Researcher): University of Manchester Watch the video
- Autonomous Biomimetic Robot-fish for Offshore Wind Farm Inspection - Dr Mark Post: University of York - Senior Lecturer Watch the video
Core research updates from the Supergen ORE Hub
- Dr Hannah Mullings (Research Fellow) and Professor Tim Stallard (Co-Director of the Supergen ORE Hub): University of Manchester View PDF presentation
- Dr Hugo Putuhena: University of Southampton - Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Offshore Renewable Energy View PDF presentation
- Dr Xiaosheng (Shaun) Chen: University of Oxford - Research Associate View PDF presentation and watch the video
- Kris Grattan: University of Edinburgh - Research Associate in Offshore Renewables View PDF presentation
- Arriana Zampollo: University of Aberdeen - Research Assistant View PDF presentation
- Dr Abel Arredondo-Galeana: University of Strathclyde - Research Associate View PDF presentation and watch the video
- Rui Li: University of Warwick - Ph.D. candidate View PDF presentation and watch the video
- Dr Ed Mackay: University of Exeter - Research Fellow View PDF presentation
- Dr Kaushal Bhavsar: University of Hull - Postdoctoral Researcher in Offshore Renewable Energy View PDF presentation
- Dr Scott Brown: University of Plymouth - Supergen ORE Hub Research Fellow View PDF presentation and watch the video
EPSRC Wave Energy Projects
View information about all 8 of the EPSRC Wave Energy projects
- MU-EDRIVE - Professor Nick Baker: Newcastle University - Professor in Emerging Electrical Machines Watch the video
- System-level co-design and control of large capacity wave energy converters with multiple PTOs - Dr Judith Apsley: Queen Mary Univerity of London - Senior Lecturer Watch the video
- BASM-WEC – bionic adaptive stretchable materials for wave energy converters - Yang Huang: University of Strathclyde - PhD Student in naval architecture, ocean and engineering Watch the video
- Mooring analysis and design for offshore WEC - survivability and fatigue (MoorWEC) - Professor Peter Stansby: University of Manchester - Professor of Hydrodynamics View PDF presentation
Tribute to Professor Stephen Salter
- Professor Alistair Borthwick: University of Plymouth - Professor of Applied Hydrodynamics View PDF presentation
Early Career Researcher poster prizes
ECR community members had the opportunity to present their research during the ECR Forum and Annual Assembly through research posters and abstracts. The top three posters were announced during the closing session of the Assembly. The winning posters were:
- 1st prize - Dr Jiaxin Chen (University of Plymouth) "Estimating Wind Using Wave Buoy Measurement: A case study in the Celtic Sea Global Challenge Research Fellow in ORE"
- 2nd prize - Abigail Bateman, (University of Bristol)"Soil Reaction Curves for the Response of Monopile Tip in Clay"
- 3rd prize - Henry Thomas (University of Plymouth) "Thermal Boundary Layer around a Partially Buried Pipe in Oscillating Flow"
You can view the full book of posters and abstracts here.
Speaker biographies
Supergen ORE Hub Seventh Early Career Researchers Forum
As part of the Annual Assembly, the Supergen ORE Hub hosted an Early Career Researchers (ECR) Forum on Tuesday 23 April 2024 at the University of Plymouth. Find out more here.
About the ECR Forum
The Supergen ORE Hub ECR Community aims to connect ECRs with more senior researchers, in the UK and internationally, to create a diverse and supportive community that nurtures the next generation of ORE research leaders. The Forum is a way for ECRs to come together and share their research and network with colleagues.
Each ECR attending the Forum is invited to submit a poster presentation as an opportunity to promote their research and engage with other conference attendees. Further details about poster submissions will be shared in early 2024.
