Cooper Turner Beck (CTB) and the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership: Leading Innovation in Floating Wind Turbine Fasteners
As a key player in the UK’s clean energy landscape, Cooper Turner Beck (CTB) has been awarded funding from the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP): a transformative renewables programme within the UK Offshore Wind Sector Deal, aimed at strengthening collaboration and growth across the supply chain.
Since 2019, OWGP has supported over 275 UK companies, with more than 1,400 registering interest in the programme’s funding and business development opportunities. Supported by the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) and managed by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, OWGP offers grants and productivity improvement programmes to enhance innovation and industry partnerships.
The OWGP will dedicate £100 million over 10 years to enhance the UK’s offshore wind supply chain by funding innovation and productivity.
Addressing Unique Challenges in Floating Offshore Wind
CTB will leverage this support to develop advanced large-diameter fasteners specifically designed for the demands of floating offshore wind turbines.
Unlike fixed turbines anchored to the seabed, floating turbines constantly move with waves, wind, and currents, introducing complex mechanical stresses. Strong, durable fasteners are essential for these floating systems, providing the stability and reliability required for long-term operation in harsh marine conditions. CTB’s fasteners will be engineered to support heavy turbine components while withstanding dynamic forces, ensuring the structural integrity of floating wind systems.
The Advantages of Floating Offshore Wind
Floating wind turbines unlock new opportunities for renewable energy by enabling deep-water deployment where fixed foundations aren’t feasible, offering several advantages over fixed systems:
- Deeper Water Deployment: Floating turbines can be installed in deep waters where fixed foundations aren’t viable, tapping into previously unreachable wind resources.
- Higher Energy Capture: These turbines can be placed in locations with stronger and more consistent winds, boosting energy generation compared to fixed offshore wind farms.
- Lower Environmental Impact: Floating turbines can be positioned farther offshore, minimising visual and noise pollution and reducing disruptions to marine ecosystems.
- Scalability: Floating wind farms can be scaled more efficiently, allowing the installation of larger turbines and increasing energy capacity across vast ocean spaces.
- Faster Installation and Maintenance: Since they don’t require complex seabed foundations, floating turbines can be installed more quickly and maintained more cost-effectively.
The unique dynamic stresses these structures endure in the harsh marine environment means strong, durable fasteners are essential for the turbines’ structural integrity and long-term reliability, and that’s where Cooper Turner Beck’s know-how comes into play.
CTB’s Role in a Sustainable Energy Future
CTB’s investment in advanced fasteners exemplifies our commitment to sustainability and innovation, complimenting other recent engineering achievements, such as the DIBt certification.
Now, with the support of OWGP, CTB is poised to lead advancements in floating offshore wind, helping the UK reach its net-zero goals and contributing to a more resilient, low-carbon future – as well as strengthening the engineering and technical expertise in the sector as a whole.
For more information on the programme, and our involvement in it, please contact us.