LIVERPOOL CITY REGION LEADS PLAN TO BUILD MULTI-BILLION WINDFARM

11th September 2018

Liverpool Bay Offshore Wind

Two Liverpool City Region companies could soon take the lead on a multi-billion pound project to create giant windfarms in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Mersey Maritime and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) are both key players in the EU-funded ARCWIND – a £3.5bn project to gauge feasibility of the next generation of wind power. Liverpool City Region has one of the world’s biggest wind farms located in Liverpool Bay and has amassed a considerable well of expertise in the offshore wind industry, thanks to Burbo Bank, off the Merseyside coast and Danish renewable energy giant Ørsted.

Dr Musa Bashir, a senior lecturer in marine and offshore engineering in LJMU’s Department of Maritime and Mechanical Engineering, is taking part in the research project, which lasts until 2020 and involves several European countries.

“Liverpool City Region’s £4bn maritime industry contains world class expertise across a number of sectors – offshore wind being a great example of that.

He said: “We are looking at floating wind farms and making realistic assessments of production, costs and economic feasibility, taking into account logistics, maintenance planning and risk assessment.

“The heights of the turbines we are looking at are between 180 metres and 220 metres from mean sea level.

“This means that they are higher than the Statue of Liberty at 93m, but lower than the Eiffel tower at 324m.”

Mersey Maritime chief executive, Chris Shirling-Rooke, added: “Liverpool City Region’s £4bn maritime industry contains world class expertise across a number of sectors – offshore wind being a great example of that.

“Energy security is a key issue for the UK now and over the coming decades. Offshore wind is coming of age in terms of efficiency and economic viability. It has the potential to create thousands of new jobs and we want to ensure Liverpool City Region takes the lead and gains maximum benefit.”

Read more about Liverpool City Region’s offshore wind industry read our current brochure here.

11th September 2018