Offshore wind and a greener future
Research leading to a greener, more sustainable world for future generations.
The future of efficient, sustainable energy
Offshore wind is major force in the global shift towards a more sustainable future. Winds at sea are stronger and more stable than on land, so offshore turbines can produce more electricity, at lower cost, with greater reliability. It can also generate high-capacity, zero-carbon electricity at utility scale.
The North East is already home to major offshore wind developments, including Dogger Bank and RWE’s Sofia Offshore Wind Farm. Ports in Blyth, Tyne and Teesside also help the sector’s rapid growth.
Innovation across disciplines
Climate change brings increasing global challenges, so it’s never been more important to develop sustainable energy systems. Our Centre for Energy plays an important part in exploring solutions to these problems.
Our offshore wind research brings together expertise in marine energy, ship design, and offshore infrastructure to support innovation.
By bringing together academia, industry and government, we’re driving the transition to clean and affordable energy while creating long-term economic growth for the region.
We specialise in areas such as high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics, hydrodynamics, and structural assessment for offshore renewables. Our staff also excel in turbine design and testing, extreme and fatigue load analysis, and low-energy autonomous marine vehicles for offshore wind survey and monitoring.
Our laboratories and technical teams provide expertise across how energy is created, delivered, and tested. This includes chemical and surface analysis, gear technology and power transmission systems, hydrostatic and hyperbaric pressure testing, marine hydrodynamics, propulsion, coatings, marine science and consenting.
The North East – leading the way towards net zero
Through research, education and innovation, we play a central role in the offshore renewables sector and the drive toward net-zero. Our partnerships connect businesses with research expertise, specialist facilities and talent to help solve industry challenges and speed up innovation.
We are proud to be members of Northern Offshore Federation (NOF), Energi Coast, and the Global Underwater Hub – organisations supporting offshore energy, subsea, and marine supply chains.
A future powered by data
A major example of our work is our strategic partnership with RWE’s Sofia Offshore Wind Farm. This 1.4 gigawatt (GW) renewable energy project is currently under construction in the North Sea, and is the largest offshore wind project in RWE’s portfolio.
Together, we support workforce development, research, and innovation through student projects, workshops, guest lectures, careers events, and industry collaborations. Our Leadership in Climate Change and Sustainability postgraduate course partners with Sofia to give students hands-on, real-world experience in the renewable energy sector.
Empowering talent in the North East
Growing the next generation of talent is vital to ensuring a sustainable future.
We’ve launched a regional project with Durham University to strengthen the workforce for the region’s growing low-carbon and offshore wind industries.
Building on our collaborative work associated with the Energy Central Institute, the Low Carbon North: Sustainable Futures initiative is being delivered by the Careers and Enterprise teams at both universities and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult. This is the UK’s leading technology innovation and research centre for offshore renewable energy.
The project aims to keep graduates in the North East and help businesses build the skilled workforce needed for the region’s flourishing low carbon economy. It will also support long-term regional growth by creating a model that could be expanded across the wider higher education sector.
By bringing together cross-disciplinary experts, our wide portfolio of energy research and strong industry partnerships, we aim to create a greener, more sustainable world for future generations.