TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION & GREEN GROWTH FOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLES (TIGGOR)
The TIGGOR programme has been established to support the acceleration of businesses in the North East England region. The programme brings together the public and private sector including developers Equinor and EDF Renewables, who have been delivery partners since the programme’s inception. Funded primarily by the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA), the programme is designed to boost supply chain growth and productivity in the region’s burgeoning offshore wind and subsea sectors, as well as encourage market entrance of companies that currently do not operate in these industries.
Tom Nightingale, North East Stakeholder Manager for Equinor said:
“We are proud to support local supply chain development as a key partner in this industry initiative and work with an esteemed group of public and private organisations in the region. This has been a great opportunity to find new solutions as well as to develop our own team as we learn more about the capabilities available in this growing offshore wind cluster”.
The TIGGOR programme delivery partners include:
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ORE Catapult (programme leader)
The programme is made up of two key strands that businesses can apply for: Technology Demonstration Support and Business Growth Support.
The Technology Demonstration Support, delivered by ORE Catapult, EDF Renewables and Equinor, aims to maximise future commercial investment in the supply chain via a technology demonstration programme to de-risk future investment. Technology demonstration support will provide businesses with technology assessment, advice and potential funding in the following areas*:
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O&M, Reliability Optimisation and AI, Next Generation Subcomponents: Novel component designs for floating wind, novel sensors, novel materials, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning techniques, enhanced SCADA a data failure mode detection etc.
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Smart O&M Robotics: Autonomous Surface Vessels, Remotely Operated Vehicles, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles etc.
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Data and Digital Twins: Component level and wind farm level system’s analysis
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Open Category: Cable monitoring and protection, hybrid smart energy systems
*The categories include, but are not limited to, the above technologies
Blyth Offshore Demonstrator Project, North East England
Credit: EDF Renewables
In March 2022, 4 new companies were announced on the programme, taking the total regional investment to over £2 million. The successful companies – TechnipFMC, FES International, Kinewell Energy, and Enshore Subsea – will receive a share of £800,000 in match funding made available through the second round of the TIGGOR programme’s technology demonstration strand.
Andrew Saunders, O&M Manager for Equinor at Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said:
“Equinor is delighted to continue acting as a Technical Advisor to the TIGGOR programme to facilitate innovative technology development in the region, and look forward to working closely with TechnipFMC, FES International, Kinewell Energy, and Enshore Subsea to provide technology and industry advice on how their solutions can be advanced to market in the offshore wind industry. “Demonstration is vital in maturing ground-breaking technologies and the region, through TIGGOR, is becoming a hub for innovation in global offshore wind.”
COLLABORATING FOR GROWTH PLAYBOOK
Through the programme, Equinor and EDF provide technical support to help frame the technology challenges supported by the programme. By investing time and expertise in the programme in this way, the companies ensure that the outputs are aligned to industry requirements and that successful ventures are therefore highly likely to achieve contracts in the industry. This type of support ensures that the developing North East Cluster can most effectively target growth areas that are of real value to for offshore wind projects.
Businesses in the North East LEP area can also benefit from business growth support, delivered by OWGP and the LEP, providing specialist innovation advice, market intelligence and business planning for organisations operating in the offshore energy sectors and those looking to enter the market. Access to other supply chain programmes currently run by ORE Catapult will also be incorporated.
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One company that has already benefited from the TIGGOR programme is UNASYS. Watch the video below to learn more about the company journey so far and the role that TIGGOR has played.