Raphaela O'Rorke, R&D Engineer, EMEC
I have just come back from a 2-day Supergen ORE Hub Masterclass at the National Decommissioning Centre (NDC) in Newburgh near Aberdeen on Virtual Prototyping of Offshore Renewable Energy Technologies.
As I began my career as a graduate R&D Engineer with EMEC, the masterclasses are a great way of continuing learning and keeping up to date with research in the offshore renewable sector. Last year, I attended the Extreme Value Analysis Masterclass at the University of Exeter, and I was keen to take the opportunity to attend another of the Supergen Masterclasses.
The course explored how simulation tools can be used to inform design refinements to reduce risk prior to device deployment, plan deployment operations and better understand environmental considerations for offshore wind.
Facilities
Although originally set up for decommissioning, the NDC can also simulate deploying devices, anchoring and mooring systems (and much more!)
It is a valuable tool for refining designs and de-risking before real-world testing and deployment in the renewable sector.
It was great to get up close to the facilities and have a chance to be hands-on with the equipment. Seeing the capability of the marine simulator along with the research that is being done there has been great and I will definitely bring this knowledge back to share with colleagues at EMEC.
Forging valuable relationships
The networking value, both with the NDC and the other attendees, was great for forging relationships. EMEC is a world-leading facility within the wave and tidal energy sector, supporting developers with the next steps after tank testing to real-world deployment at our open-sea test sites. To be able to discuss our experience, as well as hear the latest research in the field was valuable on both sides.
I would very much recommend attending the Supergen Masterclasses, if you have the opportunity!
The Masterclass Series continues through 2026 until early 2027. Explore the topics.
