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 today (Thursday) 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.
Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, Graham Stuart, said: “As a country, we need to embrace new ideas and technologies to make sure the global boom in offshore wind continues.
“The high-speed communications infrastructure will provide the perfect environment to test and develop the next generation of digital technologies – making our wind farms smarter, safer and greener.
“This will also level up the country by sustaining 200 skilled jobs, supporting more than 120 businesses and creating 20 new enterprises. Thanks to the 5G Portal, Grimsby is becoming world famous as the driving force behind the digital revolution in offshore wind.”
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.
