TECH SPOTLIGHT
Unique Offshore Wind ‘Living Lab’ in Grimsby Is Switched On to Launch New Digital Future
The 5G PORTAL (Ports and Offshore Renewable Technology Accelerator Lincolnshire) – an advanced 5G equipped ‘living lab’ – covering the port of Grimsby and the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farm was officially switched on at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s Operations and Maintenance Centre of Excellence.
The £2.8m project, funded by Innovate UK and the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, will accelerate development of a new generation of digital technologies essential to the huge expansion of offshore wind farms, required to meet the UK target to deploy 50GW of offshore wind by 2030. The ‘living lab’ will allow technology providers to develop, test and demonstrate their equipment in real world conditions, with access to reliable, high-speed communications, and aims to attract users from across the global offshore wind sector.
The 5G PORTAL is delivered by a consortium led by ORE Catapult, bringing together the expertise of Microsoft, XceCo, Associated British Ports (ABP), Accelleran, JET Connectivity, Boldyn Networks and Satellite Applications Catapult.
To create the 5G PORTAL, two 5G technology development and demonstration zones linked by a fibre network were created – one end at Grimsby Port and the other within the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farm. Fifteen 5G radio transmitters are placed across five sites (including four wind turbines and a radio mast in the
(L-R) Tony Lyon, Xceco; Jo Goubert, Accelleran; Peter Smith, ABP; Ben George, ORE Catapult; Halina Davies, Greater Lincolnshire LEP; Simon Hart, Innovate UK; Donal O’Sullivan, Boldyn Networks; James Thomas, Jet Connectivity with an Xocean autonomous, solar powered vessel to help with subsurface and turbine inspections.
port), working in conjunction with a solar powered 5G buoy developed by JET Connectivity, together providing an extended private 5G network over a 45km2
area.
Uniquely, the 5G PORTAL is integrated into both an operational port and operational offshore wind farm, and applications to use it are welcomed.
Demonstrators at the 5G PORTAL launch included:
• ABP and HeroTech8 – autonomously controlled drones designed to conduct inspections offshore, provided video, sensor capture and data transmission before returning to base.
• Microsoft – a live feed from the port mast relayed data back to
base where it was shown through HoloLens interactive software as interactive augmented reality. This will remotely assist and direct field technicians with instructions overlaid on their visors.
• ABP and BT – video monitoring and image processing with AI – used to monitor lock gate movements and vessel conditions with image recognition software, to determine changes or damage to vessels.
• Xocean – an autonomous, solar powered 5m vessel to help with subsurface and asset inspections.
• JET Connectivity – their data dashboard showed environmental, weather, and 5G service data from the 5G buoy.
October 2023
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