Marine, Offshore and Subsea Technology

We are improving dynamic responses prediction accuracy of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT). The project will benefit the UK’s ocean renewable energy development.
We are investigating rigid-flexible coupled multi-body dynamic mechanisms. We are also researching FOWT’s dynamic characteristics. We are developing an aero-hydro-elastic-mooring-servo coupled numerical tool for FOWT engineering design.

The fishing industry must remain profitable by increasing its efficiency in a changing environment. In most cases, catches have reached their limit.

Copernicus is the EU's Earth Observation (EO) Programme. It offers information services based on satellite EO and in situ environmental data. The SUSTUNTECH project will use Big Data approaches in the daily operations of tuna fishing vessels. We will generate added value to the environmental data services provided by Copernicus.

Data feedback will increase data supply and services. It will help the industry to meet the need for high-quality sources of food. These food sources must be resilient, and economically and environmentally sustainable.

SUSTUNTECH offers an approach to high value products using Copernicus data and services. A fisheries fleet can expect fuel and cost savings of between 25% and 40% per fisheries fleet. We will produce commercialised tools at TR6-7 level using the combined capabilities of the members of the consortium. The project will be commercialised through the industrial partners networks of clients with shared royalties’ schemes and individual intellectual property rights.

Faults or damage to infrastructure in harsh or remote environments can pose a threat to humans or the environment. Such locations might include deep oceans, outer space and sites which have been subject to natural disasters. In these locations, human intervention may not be technically or economically feasible. In the case of deep oceans, the use of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) may be impractical. The umbilical cables restrict their movement. The cost of the necessary support vessel and skilled human operators is also prohibitive.

We are developing an autonomous robotic system able to identify problems. This system will then decide upon and carry out intelligent physical interventions as needed.

The ECHO Glider project develops a next‑generation Endurant, Cognitive and High‑speed Ocean Glider designed for continuous acoustic environmental monitoring around offshore wind farms. The research addresses the growing need for low‑impact, persistent sensing platforms capable of characterising underwater noise, marine mammal presence, and turbine‑related acoustic signatures. ECHO integrates advanced hydrodynamics, biomimetic control surfaces, and AI‑driven navigation to enable efficient long‑endurance operation in complex coastal environments.

The project combines experimental testing at national hydrodynamic facilities with field trials to validate performance, endurance, and acoustic data quality. Novel propulsion and energy‑management strategies will allow high‑speed transits and low‑speed silent monitoring within a single platform.

Working closely with industry partners, the project will deliver a scalable glider architecture and data pipeline supporting environmental compliance, biodiversity protection, and operational planning for offshore wind developers. ECHO positions the UK as a leader in autonomous systems for sustainable offshore energy.

Artisanal small fishing vessels represent a significant share of the fishing fleet in Indonesia and play an important role in coastal communities but remain vulnerable to stability-related accidents in waves. This research develops an integrated computational framework for assessing pure loss of stability, a dynamic stability failure mode, in this vessel category.

The first stage examines the applicability of the IMO Second Generation Intact Stability Criteria to Indonesian small fishing vessels. The research then extends beyond regulatory screening by developing a stochastic-probabilistic approach based on the persistence of reduced stability in following waves. The duration of critical stability conditions is related to vessel-specific dynamic response, including the time required for roll motion to reach a down flooding-based critical angle, allowing vulnerable conditions to be identified.

By integrating vessel stability characteristics with operational and wave conditions, the project aims to develop practical guidance for safer vessel operation in waves.

TransShip I&II projects advance the UK’s clean‑maritime agenda by delivering a full hydrogen retrofit of the RV Prince Madog, transforming it into one of the nation’s first operational research vessels powered by zero‑emission fuel. The project develops and integrates a hydrogen propulsion system, including storage, fuel‑cell modules, safety systems, and hybrid energy‑management architecture.

Detailed hydrodynamic assessment, cavitation evaluation, and noise characterisation ensure the retrofit maintains vessel performance while reducing underwater radiated noise and emissions. Sea trials validate operational capability, endurance, and safety compliance under real deployment conditions.

The project also generates technical guidance for future retrofits, addressing regulatory pathways, engineering constraints, and cost‑benefit considerations. As a flagship demonstrator under the Department for Transport’s clean‑maritime programme, TransShip showcases how existing vessels can transition to hydrogen propulsion, providing a replicable model for commercial, research, and coastal fleets seeking rapid decarbonisation.

RESHIP aims to redefine energy‑efficiency solutions for hydrogen‑powered ships operating in maritime and inland transport. As hydrogen propulsion becomes central to Europe’s decarbonisation strategy, the project tackles key challenges in hydrodynamics, fuel efficiency, safety, and operational integration.

RESHIP develops new design methodologies for hull, propulsors, and energy‑management systems tailored to hydrogen. Experimental and numerical studies quantify cavitation behaviour, load fluctuations, and noise characteristics unique to hydrogen‑powered vessels. The project also evaluates hybrid configurations, onboard storage strategies, and real‑world operational profiles to optimise range and reliability. Demonstrators and partner testbeds provide validation under representative conditions.

By combining engineering innovation with regulatory and economic analysis, RESHIP delivers a comprehensive framework enabling shipbuilders, operators, and policymakers to accelerate hydrogen adoption. The project strengthens Europe’s leadership in zero‑emission maritime transport and supports the transition to cleaner, safer, and more efficient vessel operations.

As part of the £2M EPSRC-funded UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Community (UKCCSRC) Network+, this initiative is developing a UK research and knowledge-exchange community focused on the non-pipeline transport of CO₂ for carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Led by Newcastle University and Cardiff University, the activity brings together researchers, industrial organisations and technology providers involved in transporting CO₂ from dispersed and geographically constrained sources where connection to a pipeline network may not be practical. The initiative focuses on transport by ship, rail and road, identifying research gaps, sharing operational experience and developing best practice across the CCS transport chain.

Through workshops, virtual engagement and accessible technical resources, the work aims to support the development of safe, reliable and scalable transport solutions needed to broaden access to geological CO₂ storage.

Container stacks on ships are subjected to complex dynamic loading from vessel motions and environmental conditions, creating risks to cargo safety and the marine environment. This PhD project is developing advanced computational models to predict the nonlinear structural response of single and interacting container stacks and their securing systems.

The research combines physics-based modelling with AI-assisted approaches, with the aim of providing faster and more reliable assessment of container-stack behaviour and supporting safer stowage and securing decisions.

Achieving zero emissions from maritime transportation over the coming years and decades will require research, development, demonstration, and deployment at a massive scale. This requires enabling policies that incentivise the shift to low- and zero-emission fuels and technologies as soon as possible.

Together with Newcastle University, EDF Energy R&D, Lloyd's Register, ARUP, the Northeast LEP and the Connected Places Catapult, the Port of Tyne, we led an innovative project to support the transition to net-zero for the maritime sector and delivered the blueprint for green shipping corridor between Port of Tyne and Port of Rotterdam.

This project consortium aimed to support the transition towards net-zero emission maritime operation by undertaking a techno-economic feasibility study for hybrid and full battery powered service operation vessels (SOVs) supported by mooring and charging infrastructure at offshore wind farm sites.

The consortium undertook systematic analysis of the technical and operational requirements to establish the environmental benefits of the offshore connection and charging system. This was supplemented by investigating the development of a simulation package for

safety and risk assessment of mooring and charging connections, and gangway personnel transfer for SOVs in floating offshore windfarms.

A multi-university consortium project, supported by industry partners, exploring the coupling of external and internal flow-induced vibrations and their effects on the fatigue life of the subsea structures undergoing vortex-induced vibrations.

Key considerations were placed on the effects of structural curvatures, flow-body orientations, hydro-elastic phenomena including drag amplifications, profile reconfigurations and 3D fluid-structure interactions with multiple resonances.

Multi-university consortium project, supported by industry partners, investigating the effects of complex flow-induced vibrations and fluid-structure interaction phenomena associated with subsea power cables under ocean currents for offshore floating wind turbines.

Both numerical models have been developed, and experimental tests have been carried out for the prediction and understanding of vortex-induced vibrations of long flexible 3D structures placed under omnidirectional flows.

This international partnership funded by the British Council investigated how to develop a resilient adaptive infrastructure inspired by natural physical biological properties (mangroves with multiple flexible roots) capable of resisting hydrodynamic loading when subject to energetic waves around coastal regions.

Material considerations, structural configurations and mathematical models have been considered and the prototypes have been tested successfully around coastal areas of Thailand.