Three North East companies have secured places on a leading technology demonstration programme, cementing the region’s status as a key offshore wind cluster.
SeaThor, Pulcea and Kinewell will receive a share of £600,000 as well as support from experienced industry mentors as part of the TIGGOR (Technology, Innovation and Green Growth for Offshore Renewables) programme, which is being delivered by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.
The nine-month programme aims to accelerate the development of products, technologies and services in the North of Tyne region for the Ƶ’s offshore wind supply chain.
SeaThor, based in North Tyneside, has developed Cable Spring, a subsea cable protection system designed to mitigate cable failure in offshore wind farms.
Blyth based Pulcea, meanwhile, has created an acoustic barrier system which focuses on reducing underwater noise for marine mammals during offshore wind farm construction.
And Kinewell, based in Newcastle, is using AI, advanced computing and mathematics to identify the best combination of floating platforms, mooring lines and anchors to build more efficient and cost-effective wind farms offshore.
Magnus Willett, senior project manager in strategy and emerging technologies at ORE Catapult, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome these three companies to the TIGGOR programme and we look forward to supporting them as they develop products and services that could boost growth and productivity across the North East of England and increase Ƶ content in the offshore renewable energy supply chain.
“The programme focuses on key priorities of development for our offshore wind sector, and we are grateful to the North East Combined Authority, and industry heavyweights Equinor and EDF Renewables for making this vital opportunity possible.”
The TIGGOR programme is funded by the North East Combined Authority (NECA) as part of its commitment to supporting the region’s offshore renewable energy supply chain. It also supports the companies with expertise provided by offshore wind developers Equinor and EDF Renewables.
Andrew Saunders, Equinor’s prepare for operations (PFO) manager at Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said: “With the latest announcement of funding of the TIGGOR programme announced, we congratulate the funded companies and look forward to working with them and ORE Catapult to deliver further technology and innovation successes in the North East of England. The applicant pool was incredibly strong and whilst not everyone could be supported, we hope to see all exciting innovations come to fruition within the Ƶ supply chain to support job creation and drive growth in making Great Britain a renewable energy superpower.”
Shiu Hui, new technology and innovation manager at EDF Renewables Ƶ and Ireland, added: “We are delighted to congratulate Kinewell, SeaThor, and Pulcea on being selected as the recipients of funding through the TIGGOR programme. These forward-thinking businesses are paving the way for a more efficient and sustainable future in the offshore sector with cutting-edge AI technology, cost-saving solutions for floating wind projects, and innovative approaches to reducing noise in offshore construction. The competition for this round was exceptional, and we commend all the businesses that applied.”
