Cooperation initiative in the Irish Sea- circular economy opportunities for offshore wind turbines

Introduction

The operational wind farms in the Irish Sea are some of the oldest in the world. Multiparty collaboration can enable better decision making to protect the environment and biodiversity, and inform future development plans to recover materials whilst leveraging the existing local supply chain. This initiative focuses on cross border collaboration of the regions of Wales and Ireland to investigate the offshore wind decommissioning opportunity and capability in the regions.

Key Objectives:

1. Quantify Offshore Decommissioning Opportunities: Conduct a detailed scoping study on the extent of current and planned wind turbines in the Celtic and Irish Seas.
2. Materials and Innovation Analysis: Map end-of-life materials, assess re-cycling potential, and review the benefits of repowering versus extending the life of existing wind farms.
3. Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building for Consortium Formation for Future Decommissioning Projects: Through workshops, bring together key stakeholders in ports, supply chains, government, and academia to establish consortia for future decommissioning initiatives.

ORE Catapult are looking to speak to organisations interested in engaging with a broad range of stakeholders looking to enable circular approaches to offshore wind.

This could include:

• Industry with experience in domains such as decommissioning onshore wind turbines, capability and facilities for offshore operations, component refurbishment and recycling facilities
• Ports with offshore operations expertise and appetite to grow their offshore wind services
• Government and Industry Bodies looking at regional supply chain growth

More information on the project brief.

Email ORE Catapult: info@ore.catapult.org.uk