Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) announced last week the creation of an offshore wind “living lab” off the coast of Grimsby, and the development of a 5G Testbed that includes Grimsby Port and the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms.
Driven by a consortium led by ORE Catapult and in collaboration with Microsoft, Vilicom, JET Connectivity, XceCo, Associated British Ports (ABP), Accelleran and Satellite Applications Catapult, the 5G Testbed will aim to allow technology providers to test and demonstrate their equipment in real world conditions, with access to reliable, high-speed communications, according to ORE.
"It will provide a real-world development, demonstration and test zone for robotics and autonomous systems (RAS), remote sensors, wearable technology, cyber security, zero emission vessels, smart ports, and aquaculture that will drive the digital future of O&M", said Ben George, head of Smart Operations and Maintenance (O&M) at ORE Catapult
It also aims to kickstart a digital revolution in offshore wind O&M in the region and attract users from the global offshore wind sector. To create the Testbed, two 5G technology development and demonstration zones over the existing fiber network will be built – one at Grimsby Port and the other within the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farm.
"We are looking forward to pushing the boundaries of our 5G RAN on our floating buoy platforms in partnership with the wider consortium and users of the testbed", said ames Thomas, CEO at JET Connectivity
"We look forward to being a part of this project and partnering with innovative companies in the areas of robotics, AI and IoT to build new Industry 4.0 use cases", added Shriraj Gaglani, VP of Product Management at Microsoft
Fifteen 5G radio transmitters will be placed across five sites including wind turbines and a radio mast, and two 5G solar powered buoys will provide an extended 5G network beyond the range of the wind farm.
"For the first time, we will be able to develop and test digital twins, AI, robotics and 5G in a totally unique offshore wind environment", said Simon Hart, Head of Cyber-Physical Infrastructure (CPI) at Innovate UK
The project will be funded with £1m from the Innovate UK Cyber Physical Infrastructure (CPI) fund, an expected £1m from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), and industry match funding.
"The 5G testbed will create a unique asset, expertise and capability that will attract inward investment from the UK and around the world", said Halina Davies, Partnerships and Programmes Executive Manager for the Greater Lincolnshire LEP
As ORE claimed, in the UK, offshore wind capacity is predicted to grow from 13GW to 50GW within the next decade, and globally, the rapid investment in offshore wind will create huge opportunities for the UK wind industry.
To remind: last week, Ørsted and Highview Power announced that they will investigate how combining Ørsted’s wind technology with Highview Power’s liquid air energy storage can deliver a stronger investment case for future offshore wind projects.
Source: Safety4sea
