1. H2020 Proposals LIFES 50 PLUS James Battensby – Technical Bid Manager 23 rd June 2015

2. Scale of the Challenge Size of Offshore Wind Turbines (5-8MW) Deployment of Wind Farms further offshore in harsh conditions Installation and Operation / Maintenance can be difficult Cost of foundation logistics can be challenging

3. Scale of the Challenge

4. Costs of foundations Significant costs in relation to installing fixed bottom structures both in terms of fabrication and deployment Significant range of research into lower cost deployment of floating structures Cost and installation of foundations needs to be reduced

5. H2020 Topic LCE-02-2014 - Developing the next generation technologies of renewable electricity and heating / cooling (€133 mil Budget). Specific Challenge Area - Wind energy: Develop control strategies and innovative substructure concepts - There is a need for i) control strategies and systems for new and/or large rotors and wind farms (on- and offshore); ii) new innovative substructure concepts, including floating platforms, to reduce production, installation and O&M costs for water depths of more than 50m. Scope: Proposals should address one or more of the technology-specific challenges described above, including between renewables areas, where new, innovative ideas are welcome. They should bring technology solutions to a higher TRL, from TRL 3-4 to 4-5

6. Key Challenges Experimental floating structures and complete prototypes will be needed to validate the new numerical software tools used to simulate the behaviour of floating concepts Integration of the wind turbine with the deep offshore platform - or the ‘superstructure’ design - is another important technical issue that has a significant impact on project costs In terms of the grid connection the dynamic section of the cable will also need to be considered as additional load and stress may be placed on the cable Specific control systems will need to be developed to ensure stabilisation of the floating structure when various loads are carried through the structure

7. Building a Consortium Developing a suitable project consortium is a long process !!! Requires the correct balance of industrial, developers and research participants, original consortium put together at EWEA 2014 Stage 1 application in April 2014 and Stage 2 application in September 2014 Contract award March 2015 Project start June 2015 – total project value €7,274,837

8. Key project objectives The focus of the project will be on floating wind turbines installed at water depths from 50m to about 200m. The consortium partners have chosen to focus on large wind turbines (in the region of 10MW), which are seen as the most effective way of reducing the Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE). The objective of the proposed project is two-fold: 1. Optimize and qualify, to a TRL5 level, two (2) substructure concepts for 10MW turbines

9. Key project objectives This methodology will be supported by existing numerical tools, targeted development and experimental work. It is expected that resulting guidelines/recommended practices will facilitate innovation and competition in the industry, reduce risks, and indirectly this time, contribute to a lower LCOE

10. Consortium organisation tips European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) engagement critical to the process Key to have a central information store, in this case an e-room Identify key roles and responsibilities for each WP from an early outset Ensure that the overall budget required is understood Demonstrate integration between partners Ensure good dissemination practices Maintain a clear risk register in project development

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