Offshore Platform for Energy Competitiveness (OPEC)

It is acknowledged that foundations costs impose a large cost burden on today's offshore wind and wave

energy systems. The OPEC project is addressing the critical cost by advancing a novel concept that would

replace traditional foundations, and achieve a 20% reduction in the cost of energy produced by these systems.

OPEC comprises a large floating structure, fabricated cost-effectively in reinforced concrete modules, designed

to support multiple wind and wave devices and also aquaculture facilities. This sharing of foundation costs

across multiple facilities means that unit costs are significantly reduced.

The project is also exploring deployment of such systems in developing island states and isolated coastal

communities, which currently suffer from very high electricity costs, and which would benefit economically

from new aquaculture production. Such deployment would also provide valuable demonstration of OPEC, to

enhance it credibility to investors in UK and other developed markets.