Operations & Maintenance Centre of Excellence (OMCE)

Strategic work programmes

The Operations and Maintenance Centre of Excellence (OMCE) runs a range of strategic programmes, alongside its core work programme.

In FY23/24 the OMCE is launching a number of targeted strategic programmes. These targeted programmes build infrastructure for delivery of activities in specific high priority areas.

The strategic programmes are:

• 5G testbed for testing and demonstration of robotics and autonomous systems within Grimsby dock and the Lynn and Inner Dowsing offshore wind farm
• Clean maritime demonstration
• Digital O&M environment (DOME) for simulation and proof of concept using real world data
• National Clean Maritime Demonstration Hub. Providing open access to clean fuels and support services at the Port of Grimsby as well as links to Centres of Maritime decarbonisation excellence across the UK.

Industry engagement

O&M Forum

ORE Catapult convenes the O&M Forum, which brings together owner-operator representatives from operational offshore wind farm sites to share best practice and burning issues in maintenance. Common topics for discussion are major component exchange, parts management, contract management, emerging technologies and techniques. Specialist third parties or developers with no operational wind farms may be invited at times.

OREEF

ORE Catapult supports the Offshore Renewable Energy Emergency Forum. Senior HSE managers with responsibility for offshore wind farm emergency planning meet with regulators, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and police forces to coordinate and plan emergency responses, including multi-agency exercises.

Operation Zero

As both a potential producer and user of clean fuels, the UK’s offshore wind industry is in a unique position to act as a springboard for that broader maritime decarbonisation. The energy generated by offshore wind farms is likely to form part of the maritime fuel mix of the future. Collaborative action from industry leaders across the supply chain is imperative, as is States’ cooperation in helping de-risk these investments and facilitating the path for the industry.

Operation Zero is a collaboration between government and industry with the goal of overcoming barriers to maritime decarbonisation and making zero emissions vessels a reality in the Offshore Wind Operations and Maintenance sector.

Workstreams

Next generation operations and control

• Accelerating and focussing problem owners and solution providers on more effective use of data and digitalisation to enable better operational and strategic decision-making.
• Develop “themed” forums and JIPs across the sector – e.g., RAS, Clean Maritime, Cybersecurity, Digitalisation.​
• Target and build greater experience in domain knowledge for data interpretation and lead sector on standardisation methodologies to enable more effective collaboration and innovation acceleration.

Inspection, maintenance and repair

• Enhancing innovation in remote operations and maintenance – working to develop, demonstrate, test and qualify using “blended” techniques across connected real and digital assets.
• Develop world leading, digitally enabled development, demonstration and test capabilities across multiple sites, linking real and virtual assets – e.g., DOME, RAS Centre, 5G Testbed, LDT​
• Build the service offering in capabilities across the RAS continuum – simulation support, data analysis, hardware-in-the-loop, platform test, operational integration​
• Leverage existing and seek additional partnerships with operators to integrate operational assets into O&M Development Zones.

Clean maritime and decarbonisation

• Supporting the development of clean maritime, the circular economy and decommissioning through targeted R&D
• Circular Economy for the Wind Sector (CEWS) to catalyse practical industry programs on circular economy – starting with focus on overcoming barriers to grey spares market.​ You can read more here.
• The primary objectives of clean maritime at ORE Catapult are to:

1. 1. Accelerate the deployment of zero emissions vessels and technology in offshore renewables in the UK and abroad
   2. Build UK supply chain capability through support and collaboration.

• Current projects include:

1. 1. 5 ‘Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition’ projects studying and demonstrating technologies such as foiling vessels, offshore charging, port emissions optimisation, and a Zero Emissions barge concept.
   2. Operation Zero Declaration: launched at COP26, an industry coalition working together to accelerate the decarbonisation of the O&M vessels in the North Sea offshore wind sector.
   3. Bibby Wavemaster Zero C: an industry led project to determine optimum fuel types for future service operations vessels.