A multimillion-pound centre dedicated to researching and testing digital and robotic tech for the offshore sector has opened in Blyth.
The Digital, Autonomous and Robotics Engineering (DARE) Centre at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult features command and control rooms, three dry docks with up to 20,000m3 of space, wind turbine monopile and blade sections and specialist monitoring systems that will allow developers and researchers to test tech intended for the offshore renewables market.
The DARE Centre also includes a robotics assembly bay and an airborne robotics test zone - all of which is part of an effort to commercialise products that could help the rapid expansion of offshore wind in the UK. A handful of North East firms demonstrated their technologies at the opening, including North Shields-based Kinewell Energy, Newcastle's SMD and Blyth's Enshore Subsea.
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Regionally-created tech being displayed included software for designing the layout of cabling at offshore wind farms, a subsea robot and an ordnance surveying scanner which supports the safe installation of subsea equipment. Firms from Singapore, Cambridge and Aberdeen were also present.
Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero Graham Stuart as on hand to launch the facility which represents £3m investment, with funding from the Government’s Getting Building Fund, managed in the region by the North East LEP, and Innovate UK.
He said: “I’m delighted to open the UK’s national robotics centre for offshore wind. 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. 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."
Andrew Jamieson, chief executive at ORE Catapult, said: "The DARE Centre 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 UK has a global reputation for its sub-ocean engineering expertise and ingenuity. The DARE Centre will propel UK businesses and this capability into the fast-expanding offshore wind space.
"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.”
Helen Golightly, chief executive of the North East LEP, said: "The offshore wind and green energy sectors in our region are internationally renowned, so it’s very fitting that the UK’s first centre for advancements in digital, autonomous and robotics engineering in renewable energy has opened here in the North East. The infrastructure that exists around offshore wind, and the skills and expertise in our region, has already helped attract significant investment. With Dogger Bank Wind Farm set to become the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the North East is well placed to seize new opportunities through the R&D and testing facilities on the River Blyth, as well as the growing base of manufacturing and logistics operations in the sector.
"Investment in the DARE Centre from the Getting Building Fund will not only help deliver Government’s commitment to reach Net Zero, it will also help the North East unlock the economic opportunities provided by Net Zero; helping us create a greener, fairer and more sustainable region."
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