Start-up challenge: Solutions for responsible offshore wind project development

We search for innovative technologies for responsible offshore wind project development

Start-up challenge Offshore wind United States PERSEO

Our start-up programme, PERSEO, is participating in a challenge to find environmental and digital solutions that will drive the efficient and sustainable development of the offshore wind industry. With the current Vineyard Wind 1 project as a starting point, the aim of the challenge is to contribute to the decarbonisation of the energy sector across the US.

Solutions for responsible offshore wind project development

Vineyard Wind, a company in which Iberdrola has a 50 % stake — through Avangrid Renewables, an AVANGRIDExternal link, opens in new window.  subsidiary — and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), is developing Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm opposite the coast of Massachusetts. With 800 MW of installed capacity and an investment of EUR 2.5 billion, it is the largest wind farm currently being developed in the United States, and one of our group’s largest in the world.

The complex, which is expected to go into service in 2023 and will generate wind power sufficient to meet demand from over 400,000 homes and businesses across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Vineyard Wind 1 will prevent the emission of more than 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide every year and will create 3,600 full-time equivalent jobs.

This new development, slated to be the first commercial scale offshore wind farm in the United States, will be our group's first offshore wind energy project in the country, ratifying its position as a global leader in this area.

Challenge description

In this context, Vineyard WindExternal link, opens in new window. , Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and GreenTown Labs, through the Go Energize 2023External link, opens in new window.  program, are launching a new challenge seeking to decarbonize the energy sector through the responsible development of domestic offshore wind industry. 

Go Energize 2023 is seeking applications from startups with a technology readiness level (TRL) of 3 and higher. Applicants should also be actively commercializing or looking to commercialize within the offshore wind industry. Technologies that have been demonstrated or commercialized for a different market are still eligible, as long as there is a relevant target application.

The program scope includes both environmental and digital solutions that can be applied to the offshore wind industry:

Environmental solutions

  • Turbine-level bird- & bat-deterrent systems

  • Collision vulnerability and detection with bird-identification systems

  • Low-cost metocean / deep-water data-collection buoys

  • Promotion of biodiversity around turbines/nature-inspired designs

  • Drones for subsea inspection, mapping, biodiversity measurements / recording

Digital solutions

  • Design-phase overengineering reduction and real-time condition-monitoring (digital twins)