A test facility for innovations in floating offshore wind technology has been unveiled by the University of Plymouth, UK.

The UK Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Test Facility is now operational within the university’s coastal, ocean and sediment transport (COAST) laboratory.

It will enable wind speeds of between 0.5 m/s and 10 m/s to be generated which, in addition to the existing wave generation technologies, will create a scaled-down version of the ocean environment.

The combination of waves and wind will allow researchers to improve their understanding of how future technology advances could be impacted by atmospheric conditions. It will also provide a low-risk environment in which researchers from academia and industry can test new and novel concepts.

The new facility comes at a time when the sector is predicted to grow significantly, with floating offshore wind farms set to be developed in the Celtic Sea and off the coasts of Scotland and Wales.

Deborah Greaves, director of the university’s Centre for Decarbonisation & Offshore Renewable Energy, said, “Floating offshore wind will play a critical role in enabling the UK to achieve its clean energy ambitions.

“To fully harness the potential of emerging technologies, the whole sector needs a facility where ideas and innovations can be put through their paces. This installation will enable that and is an important addition to our suite of world class offshore renewable energy facilities.”

Opened in 2012, the COAST Lab has been used to test hundreds of prototypes developed by academics, students and commercial partners.

That work has complemented the university’s research into offshore wind, wave and tidal technologies, and their potential contribution to the UK’s future clean energy mix.

To create the UK FOWTT facility, a block of nine fans was installed above the COAST Lab’s Ocean Basin.The fans can be rotated to replicate shifts in wind direction, allowing researchers to assess the effects of different conditions on floating offshore wind platforms and the turbines blades themselves.

As the facility was showcased for the first time, wind turbine pioneer Andrew Garrad, recently awarded the 2024 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, said, “After the huge success of bottom-fixed offshore wind – now accounting for a gobsmacking 39 per cent of the UK’s electricity – floating offshore wind is the next frontier.

"It has a major contribution to make, both in the UK and globally, wherever there is no shallow water. Giant floating turbines present difficult engineering problems that require novel solutions. UK FOWTT is one of those solutions. Its opening today puts the UK in a leading position. Well done Plymouth!”

The facility was funded through a grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation.