Offshore wind developers join forces to cut costs of offshore wind

The Carbon Trust has revealed details of a new European phase of its research, development and demonstration programme – the Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA).

The OWA programme, originally created in 2008, has helped the development of new support vessels and wind resource measurement and modelling.

The programme is designed to reduce costs and improve efficiency and availability of existing and future offshore wind farms.

Nine offshore wind developers in Europe have signed up to the programme including DONG Energy, E.ON, Statkraft, and Statoil.

Over the next four years the developers will collectively invest at least £6.4 million (US$8.3 million), boosted by a further £1.5 million from the Scottish Government, to bring new innovations to market that will try to ensure that the typical cost of offshore wind is below £100 per MWh by 2020.

“Previous Scottish Government support for the OWA has helped develop new ideas in key areas of importance to companies operating in Scottish waters and I have no doubt this new funding will help firms to continue this important work,” the Scottish Government’s minister for business, innovation and energy, Paul Wheelhouse said.