Opportunities from Space – how can it help the clean energy revolution?

Written by Grant Day, ESA Business Applications UK Regional Ambassador – South West England & Wales

I have always found enthusiasm infectious. As a newcomer to the Marine Renewables world, I found the enthusiasm present at MEW2023 in March brilliant.

The significance of the opportunity combined with the commitment for collaboration between stakeholders, government and industry on display was good cause for enthusiasm. I was equally encouraged by the pragmatism and honesty in the discussions regarding what will be required both to fulfil the opportunity and to ensure the local supply chains are proficient enough for the region to garner the potential benefits.

Undoubtedly satellites and space-derived data will play a role in the development of services in support of the wind energy sector, as highlighted in Space for Wind Energy: Use Cases and Market Opportunities.

ESA’s vision and strategy include the use of space to combat the climate crisis and enable a green future. Digitalisation, satellite connectivity and space applications provide a range of opportunities to enhance energy security and the green energy transition, addressing many of the challenges faced by nations and by the energy sector. ESA envisions space as key to helping provide secure, sustainable, accessible energy for everyone.

ESA Space Solutions has previously funded feasibility studies and demonstration projects for offshore renewables in the past, with good examples including IISWIND and Com4Offshore. Future initiatives that should excite MEW members in offshore renewables and Celtic Sea FLOW are Assets Management and Circular Economy.

In the current term, I would be keen to highlight the following thematic call: Space and Digital Transformation for Green Energy Utilities which I am eager to talk to any MEW members about. This thematic call is open for feasibility studies or demonstration projects until March 2024 and aims at developing sustainable services leveraging different space assets to address current priorities in the energy sector with a focus on:

1. Net positive environmental impact, social acceptance, circular economy of renewable sector

2. Monitoring existing renewable capacity: increasing efficiency of green renewable energy and safety of operations

3. Supporting plans for renewables deployment: planning and bankability of green renewable energy

4. Smart energy systems and digitalisation of the utilities infrastructure

DCMS and BEIS (as it was) provided specific use cases in the Annexes.

If this thematic call doesn’t quite fit your idea there is also a Direct Negotiation call for proposals which is permanently open.

The first stage of an application is an Activity Pitch Questionnaire (APQ). As ESA Business Applications Ambassador for the region a large part of my role is to support companies in the preparation of their APQs and to guide applicants through the process.

ESA Space Solutions funding exists to aid the commercialisation of ideas that could help the clean energy revolution. I would be delighted to have a chat with anyone who may be interested to find out more.

Details on the Business Applications UK Ambassador Platform can be found here or reach out to me on LinkedIn.

I am also teaming up with the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and the Satellite Applications Catapult to host 3 workshops (Cardiff, Aberystwyth and Bangor) during the week commencing 19th June, to explore the opportunities that satellites could offer offshore renewables, especially in context of the Celtic Sea Floating Offshore Wind.