JET Engineering Systems Solutions has been awarded a record £728,000 grant funded project to deliver a connectivity solution that will improve safety, reduce carbon emissions, and increase efficiencies during the assessment and installation phases of offshore wind farms.
Utilising its existing 5G connected buoy technology, JET will design and develop a fully integrated, floating network within the 21-month project which is being funded by the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP).
The network will host multi-sensor and video capabilities to collect and transmit real-time data from the sea, as well as providing reliable connectivity for anyone managing, or working on, offshore sites where connectivity is often non-existent.
This world leading technology will enable more efficient and strategic planning, increased safety for anyone working offshore, and increased environmental conservation. It will also dramatically reduce costs of not only day-to-day sea data collection and transfer, but also has the potential to save 40% of environmental assessments and survey costs – estimated to be currently £20 million per GW capability – prior to offshore wind installations.
Environmental assessments and surveys are currently carried out on manned vessels running on fossil fuels. The ability to conduct these surveys through JET’s network of buoys will support the target of net zero by 2050.
James Thomas, CEO at JET Engineering, said: “The UK has targets to implement 40GW offshore wind capability by 2030 and 125GW by 2050. We’re currently at around 10GW so huge growth in the sector is needed to reach these upcoming targets.
“Although we’re delighted to be developing a solution to reduce times and costs – the survey and installation phases of offshore wind deployments can take years and vast budgets – the main goals for us are to accelerate the reach of net zero, improve personal safety, and support environmental sustainability through real-time ocean monitoring.”
Claire Canning, OWGP Programme Manager at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult: “We are delighted to be supporting JET Engineering on such a game changing project. Utilising the world’s first deployed 5G connected floating buoy network to enable high-speed data capture and connectivity will completely transform offshore wind operations, improving both efficiency and operator safety.”
