Three North East firms win offshore boost
ORE Catapult backs £600,000 offshore wind tech programme in England
Three innovative companies from North East England have secured places on the latest round of the TIGGOR offshore wind technology demonstration programme, receiving a share of £600,000 and support from major industry mentors.
The nine-month programme, run by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, aims to accelerate the development of new products and services for the UK offshore wind supply chain.
SeaThor, Pulcea and Kinewell were selected for this year’s cohort, reinforcing the North East’s position as a leading UK offshore energy cluster.
SeaThor, based in North Tyneside, is developing a subsea dynamic cable protection system called Cable Spring, designed to reduce cable failure in offshore wind farms.
Pulcea, from Blyth in Northumberland, has created a high-performance bubble curtain system to cut underwater noise and protect marine mammals during offshore wind construction.
Newcastle-based Kinewell is using AI and advanced computing to optimise the design of floating wind farms, improving efficiency and reducing costs by selecting the best combination of platforms, mooring lines and anchors.
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. We look forward to supporting them as they develop products and services that could boost growth and productivity across the North East and increase UK content in the offshore renewable energy supply chain.”
The TIGGOR programme is funded by the North East Combined Authority and delivered in partnership with offshore wind developers Equinor and EDF Renewables.
Cllr Karen Clark, elected mayor of North Tyneside, said: “This region is already internationally recognised as a hub for the offshore energy sector, and we want to build on this fantastic reputation by supporting businesses that can turbo boost our clean energy ambitions.”
Andrew Saunders, prepare for operations manager at Equinor’s Dogger Bank Wind Farm, added: “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 UK supply chain.”
Shiu Hui, new technology and innovation manager at EDF Renewables UK and Ireland, said: “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, and innovative approaches to reducing noise in offshore construction.”
Since its launch in 2020, TIGGOR has funded 14 projects through £3.7 million of shared R&D grants, helping create 33 new jobs, 22 apprenticeships and 18 new products from the North East supply chain.