Clark MacFarlane, Managing Director of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy UK, added: "The Humber is a key location for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy’s offshore wind operations, both as a centre for blade manufacturing, as well as a base for our assembly, installation and some O&M service facilities. The establishment of the O&M Centre of Excellence is a valuable addition to the growing offshore wind industry regionally, nationally and globally and provides an excellent opportunity for innovation and collaboration across the O&M supply chain."
Chris Hill continued: "ORE Catapult has a strong track record in delivering operations and maintenance innovation and research activity through projects such as SPARTA, our series of O&M case studies and our industry forum. This, combined with the University of Hull’s academic expertise, particularly in the areas of logistics, human behaviour and subsea environmental science, will enable us to deliver world-leading projects designed to transform the way offshore wind farms are operated and maintained."
Dr Richards added: "Industry, through the Catapult, the University of Hull and other academic institutions as well as government need to work together to continue to solve the challenges that the industry faces. These must be addressed through collaboration and innovation through initiatives such as the Aura partnership, established last year to foster collaboration between industry, academia, government and other organisations to drive the offshore wind industry forward."
Mark O’Reilly, Chief Executive and Chairman of Team Humber Marine Alliance (THMA), said: "Over the past eight years, THMA has helped facilitate a world beating offshore wind O&M cluster that is successfully working in the UK and Europe as well as more recently in developing global markets such as the USA and Asia. We have long championed a specialist UK O&M centre for the Humber and are absolutely delighted with the ORE Catapult and the University of Hull’s partnership. This initiative will build on our growing expertise and further establish the Humber region as an offshore wind centre of excellence."