Lunch & Learn: Connected Offshore Wind – 19th May
According to the International Energy agency (IEA), global offshore wind capacity is projected to increase fifteenfold to 2040, becoming a $1 trillion industry over the next two decades. And if the industry is to grow as expected, reliable communication is essential.
Given the urgent need for low cost, low carbon energy sources, there is a strong socio-economic case for using 5G to optimise the performance of wind farms. The complex and dynamic nature of air currents means that real-time data is essential to optimise the performance of a wind farm. therefore, connectivity (and the data it captures) can have a major impact on the amount of energy produced, and ultimately the cost per watt of that energy.
Last week we held our third Lunch & Learn event, following two successful sessions on Connected Manufacturing and Connected Health & Social Care.
Hosted by Tom Marchbanks, Business Engagement Manager for S5GConnect Forth Valley, the session explored how connectivity can support innovative maintenance approaches, such as drone inspections and AR-enabled head-mounted displays (HMDs) used by field technicians. It’s high capacity for data means that the angle of each turbine can be optimised to increase the output of the overall wind farm – a process known as wake steering, a solution that will enable turbines to be sited closer together, increasing their overall energy production.
Following an introduction from Tom, the session’s guest speaker James Thomas, CEO, JET Engineering System Solutions LTD gave a presentation on their new ‘`floating’ connectivity technology, sharing how it could have a transformational impact on the operation of offshore wind farms.
For those who weren’t able to attend or those who would like to watch the event again, you can view the event recording here.
For info on our next Lunch & Learn Connected Ports taking place on Tuesday 21st June , register here.