Innovation we can unlock here will allow those at the cutting edge of offshore wind development to work faster and safer, optimise specialist skills, improve reliability, and reduce the carbon footprint of the next generation of offshore wind farms.” “The UK has a global reputation for its sub-ocean engineering expertise and ingenuity.

Technology tested at the DARE Centre will support the expansion of the offshore wind market and turbocharge the success of services and digital infrastructure surrounding the industry.Īndrew Jamieson, chief executive at ORE Catapult, added: “This is a fantastic facility that will help the UK stay at the forefront of innovation in robotics, AI and digital solutions to support the growth of offshore renewables. “The robotics centre will increase the safety and productivity of our highly skilled offshore wind technicians, lower costs, and contribute both to lower consumer bills and the nation’s energy security.” Drones, robots and underwater vehicles can reinforce the UK’s position as the world leader in offshore wind, make us even more competitive, and keep turbines turning in even the most hazardous of conditions. Graham Stuart, minister of state for energy security and net zero, said: “I’m delighted to open the UK’s national robotics centre for offshore wind. These technologies play an increasingly important role in the offshore renewable energy sector. It will provide an ideal opportunity for developers, researchers and wider industry to test, demonstrate and commercialise innovative digital and robotic products and services for the offshore renewable energy market.Īs offshore wind in the UK gets ready to triple capacity over the next decade, the adoption of robotics and autonomous systems is vital to achieving this rapid expansion and reaching Net Zero. The £3m state-of-the-art facility is the first of its kind in the UK.

Zelim Swift was operated by a single Zelim engineer while the conventional equipment was operated by a member of the CWind vessel crew, which supplied the boat for the demonstration.The Digital, Autonomous and Robotics Engineering (DARE) Centre at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s testing facility in Blyth has been opened by minister for energy security and net zero, the Rt Hon. The demonstration was organised in collaboration with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, with which Vattenfall cooperates for testing and demonstrating new technologies for the offshore renewable industry.

The Swift can be incorporated into the design of a new crew transfer vessel or retrofitted, providing an enhanced rescue capability, making it ideal for use in the offshore wind industry, Vattenfall said. When the trials moved two nautical miles offshore, in high winds and choppy seas, Swift performed even better being 20 times faster at recovering the manikin (see photo above). The trials in Ramsgate showed it to be much faster, safer and easier to rescue one or more people compared with conventional rescue systems, according to Vattenfall.ĭemonstrations to recover a manikin carried out harborside showed that Zelim’s Swift system was about four times faster than other conventional systems. LONDON - Vattenfall says a new rescue system has dramatically increased the chances of pulling anyone who has fallen overboard from a ship safely out of the water in under a minute.Īt a three-day demonstration around Vattenfall’s Ramsgate offshore wind cluster, offshore search and rescue specialists Zelim demonstrated how its Swift Rescue Conveyor system operates like a conveyor belt that is rapidly deployed into the water and pulls people to safety on board.

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