Brady PieperThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is unveiling a $48.6 million funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for the research, development and innovation of offshore wind turbine initiatives. Funded through the DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), this FOA supports the agency’s mission to speed up the deployment of wind power off U.S. coasts and contribute to a blossoming clean energy economy.
The Offshore Wind National and Regional Research and Development Funding Opportunity is working to build on previous WETO funding opportunities to continue U.S. academic leadership and spur innovative solutions to offshore wind projects. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is also providing $600,000 to projects funded by this FOA.
Offshore wind energy is a market untapped by the U.S,. which only has two active offshore wind platforms producing more than 10 megawatts, according to a June Statista survey. With this FOA, the DOE is making its largest single investment into offshore wind platforms ever..
The FOA is distributing funds to projects based on six topical areas: floating offshore platform research and development, fixed-position offshore platform innovation, technology advancement protecting birds and sea life, manufacturing and supply chain development in the Great Lakes, developing a Floating Offshore Wind Center of Excellence and offshore lightning protection research.
$20 million will be provided to floating offshore wind energy farms, a relatively new technology that can be deployed in deeper water than standard fixed-platform offshore wind farms–just at a higher cost. Projects granted funding will conduct research and development on the manufacturing and deployment of floating platforms. Other projects in this allotment will assess integrated design opportunities and other key dynamics with turbines, towers, platforms and mooring systems.
Initiatives focused on fixed-platform offshore wind turbines are receiving $7.5 million from the WETO. Fixed-platform wind farms refer to platforms that are ‘fixed’ to the ocean floor, which are typically cheaper and can be deployed in shallower water than their floating counterpart. This grouping of projects will ensure industry adoption of novel designs and methodologies for fixed-bottom systems, including researching system concerns and limitations.
Environmental safety is a focus point for the DOE during this FOA. Initiatives concentrated on protecting bird and bat species are being granted $8 million to advance bird and bat detection technologies and to mitigate harm caused by offshore wind energy systems.
Leveraging the area’s industrial bases, the DOE is distributing $5 million to projects in the Great Lakes region to develop a global and domestic supply chain through manufacturing, technology innovation and workforce development.
Through a co-sponsored effort between the DOE and the BSEE, $3.8 million is being granted to develop a university-based education and ecosystem around floating offshore wind platforms. These projects will integrate universities and industry stakeholders to support the technical needs of the U.S. floating offshore wind industry and cultivate the next generation of renewable wind energy innovators. Funds are also being used to create a Floating Offshore Wind Center of Excellence.
Projects addressing offshore wind systems and interactions with lightning will receive $4.3 million. The co-funded topical area from DOE and BSEE will develop a robust understanding of the interactions between wind turbines and lightning within offshore wind farms
The DOE is encouraging innovators and entrepreneurs from underserved communities and unrepresented groups to apply. Concept papers for projects are due by September 3. Full applications must be submitted online by Nov. 7.
Award notifications are set to be released by April 2025 with grant negotiations anticipated by August.
photo by BOEM-OPA
