The University of Bath is joining the OcEn offshore renewable energy research consortium, which will work across science, industry and communities to examine the opportunities and challenges facing the global ORE sector.

Dr Shuya Zhong of the University of Bath School of Management will join researchers from the University of Plymouth’s Centre for Decarbonisation and Offshore Renewable Energy and 10 other universities from the UK, USA, Canada and Australia. The University of Plymouth is leading the £1.7 million project.

The OcEn project will explore how ORE can support the fight against climate change, and the potential benefits for the global environment and economy that could be gained from the industry’s expansion. It will also examine whether the world’s manufacturing, construction and logistics sectors are ready to meet the demands of an expanded ORE sector.

And it will work with stakeholders and communities who depend on the ocean and identify any concerns they have about the potential for ORE to impact their livelihoods, cultural sites, and the marine environment more widely.

“With the OcEn project, I aim to develop innovative solutions for optimising ocean energy supply chains, making them more efficient, sustainable, and resilient. The goal is to enhance the sector's readiness by addressing key challenges in operations, logistics, and supply chain management,” Dr Zhong said.

“This work is essential to supporting the global transition to renewable energy, as it not only creates environmental benefits but also addresses critical economic and social impacts. I will contribute to research and knowledge exchange in the themes of logistics, operations and maintenance innovations, energy systems and integration, and mapping and forecasting the ocean renewable energy future,” she added.

Dr Zhong will also co-supervise PhD students, including a current studentship opportunity on Four-Tier Offshore Wind Supply Chain Network Integrated Planning for Farm Development.

The development of offshore renewable energy (ORE) technologies is being heralded as an essential element of global efforts to reduce emissions and protect the planet. But as advances continue to be made on innovations that fully harness the ocean’s power, a new project will examine some of the opportunities and challenges associated with future deployments of offshore wind, wave and tidal power installations.

With the different countries at similar stages in their ORE journeys, and having similar visions for the future rollout of ORE, the hope is that pooling knowledge and ideas will benefit the drive for net zero and clean energy globally.

Professor Lars Johanning, Chair in Ocean Technology at the University of Plymouth and the OcEn project lead, said: “There is a lot of talk globally about the development of ORE and the benefits it could potentially deliver. However, this project aims to look at some of the other factors that could emerge alongside the development of technologies and sites.”

“Many of those could concern the public, as well as other interested parties such as the fishing and shipping industries and wildlife organisations. By talking to them now, we can generate better understanding about the ORE sector and any issues it might encounter as it develops, but also reassure people that their thoughts and concerns are being taken into consideration before the significant expansion of sites begins in earnest,” he added.”

Running from 2024 to 2028, the OcEn consortium will aim to provide guidance for policy makers, site developers, scientists, industry and communities. Its work will centre around four research themes: environmental assessment and regulation; technology readiness and innovation; energy systems and integration; and community impacts and community-driven co-design.

As well as established experts from across the world, the project will also enable up to 12 early career researchers – including nine PhD students – to work alongside them, creating an interdisciplinary team of future leaders spanning subjects from engineering and the environment to commercialisation and social science.