Public Funding for First Marine Solutions Limited

The United Kingdom is at the forefront of offshore wind expansion, boasting a thriving industry that provides clean, dependable energy, generates environmentally friendly employment opportunities, and plays a crucial role in the nation's transition to clean energy. Greenhouse gas emissions from offshore wind farm operation and maintenance vessels constituted 3.2% of domestic shipping emissions (192 ktCO2e) in the UK in 2022\. With ambitious targets to develop the UK's offshore wind capacity from 13.6 GW (2023) to 50 GW by 2050 and with a UK project pipeline over 100 GW, this percentage could rise to over 23% or 1,380 ktCO2e per year as this pipeline is realised in a business-as-usual scenario. To reach the ambitious targets set out by the UK government, the offshore construction market will need to reach a serial production level not previously seen in offshore industries. This provides a huge opportunity to deliver clean shipping objectives by directly innovating a new vessel class, and its functional capabilities to meet this challenge. Historically, most offshore wind development has involved installing fixed foundations rigidly attached to the seabed. The next chapter of offshore wind development will move towards using floating foundations, unlocking deeper sites, and accessing stronger winds further from shore. This new technology field will involve mooring floating foundations to support the world's largest offshore wind turbines. The Future FOW (Floating Offshore Wind) Installation Vessel (FFIV) project is focused on assessing the feasibility of a new class of vessel, aimed at minimising greenhouse gas emissions during the construction and maintenance of the next generation of Offshore Wind farms. The project brings together a capable and experienced team of UK SMEs with direct end-user experience of the challenges of offshore operations in the oil and gas and offshore renewable energy sectors. Expertise within the team includes offshore operations planning and delivery, naval architecture and marine engineering, regulations governing the design of innovative vessels, FOW stakeholder mapping and analysis and marine research and development project management. The end product of the FFIV project will be an outline design of the next generation of offshore wind construction vessels, fully embracing the clean maritime objective and ready to be included in the national shipbuilding strategy, cementing the UK position in delivery of net zero 2050\.