First projects announced through Energy Technologies Institute £1.1 billion initiative

EPSRC is contributing funding to four innovative projects announced today (13 January 2009) by the Energy Technologies Institute.

The projects will help to make sure that the UK meets its challenging energy and climate change targets. Three of the projects will focus on designing cutting-edge offshore wind turbine technology while the fourth will demonstrate a new commercial-scale tidal turbine.

Energy Technologies Institute

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) is a partnership between global industries and the UK government. Funding for the projects comes from the six current private sector partners: BP, Caterpillar, EDF Energy, E.ON, Rolls-Royce and Shell.

ETI’s public funds are received from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills through the Technology Strategy Board and EPSRC with additional funding from the Department for Transport.

Projects

The four projects will receive ETI funding totalling approximately £20 million. They are:

• Nova

  UK-based consortium led by Guildford energy specialists OTM Consulting and including representatives from three universities (Cranfield, Strathclyde and Sheffield), the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture and SME Wind Power. Key sub-contractors include James Ingram Associates and QinetiQ. Project will assess the feasibility of a unique wind turbine with a pair of giant vertical wings which has benefits of ruggedness, stability and simpler maintenance access compared to the horizontal axis concept of conventional turbines.

• Helm Wind

  UK-based consortium led by E.ON Engineering and including representatives from Rolls-Royce, BP Alternative Energy and the University of Strathclyde. Project will deliver a concept design and feasibility study for a new offshore-specific wind farm and seeks to overcome the issues facing today’s systems including turbine reliability and accessing equipment for maintenance.

• Deepwater Turbine

  Consortium led by Blue H Technologies with representatives from UK groups including BAE Systems, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture, EDF Energy, Romax and SLP Energy. Project will design and determine the feasibility and potential of an integrated solution for a 5MW floating offshore wind turbine for deepwater deployments between 30 and 300 metres.

• ReDAPT

  UK-based consortium led by Rolls-Royce and including Tidal Generation Limited, Garrad Hassan, the University of Edinburgh, EDF Energy, E.ON, Plymouth Marine Laboratories and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC). Project will install and test a 1MW tidal turbine at the EMEC in Orkney, delivering detailed environmental and performance information never before achieved at this scale in real sea conditions.

Since the release of this story, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills has been renamed as the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.