Floating wind and green hydrogen - fostering future Scottish-French research and development collaboration: report

Executive Summary

Ambitions are high for the future commercialisation of floating wind and hydrogen in both Scotland and France. There is good recognition from policy makers at all levels of government in both countries that these two energy technologies can meaningfully contribute to delivering energy system transition, as well as providing opportunities for organisations within energy supply chains.

This report sets out the findings of a study undertaken for the Scottish Government which has reviewed the opportunities for Scottish and French organisations to work together to deliver collaborative innovation in floating wind and hydrogen. This study commenced with a technical evidence review which explored the development status of floating wind and hydrogen components and systems. This review highlighted a number of outstanding innovation needs and research questions, which are summarised in detail in the sections that follow. Cross-cutting challenges were identified around working at sea, likely far from shore. Technology-specific areas of focus were also clarified, for example, highlighting an ongoing need to identify the most appropriate means of stabilising floating wind platforms. Various hydrogen development needs were highlighted, notably varying depending upon whether offshore hydrogen production is pursued in earnest. Furthermore, the evidence review informed stakeholder engagement exercises which involved supply chain organisations, researchers, policy makers and enterprise agency staff in both Scotland and France. These stakeholders shared reflections on their own experiences of collaborative innovation. All of these inputs informed the development of recommendations for the Scottish Government on possible initiatives which could be used to foster further collaborative activities between Scotland and France. The sequence of these activities is summarised in Figure 1.

Stakeholder feedback provided to the project team was overwhelmingly in favour of further collaborative working between Scottish and French organisations. These stakeholders encouraged a focus for support mechanisms on de-risking future investments in large scale deployments of floating wind and hydrogen systems in both countries. A number of possible research focus areas were suggested and these are summarised in the sections which follow.

Reflecting on the research needs identified in conducting this study, and the stakeholder feedback received, the project team developed four recommendations for the Scottish Government. In order to develop further opportunities for joint working between the French and Scottish supply chains, the Scottish Government is encouraged to:

1. Target engagement at regional levels in France. In recognition of shared ambition and also comparative governance structures, resource availabilities and geographies, collaborative working with counterparts in the French regions is recommended. Representatives from Brittany and Occitanie provided particularly robust feedback to the project team, and the focus for innovation activities in these two regions make them prime candidates for engagement with the Scottish supply chain. Stakeholders who participated in project engagement activities requested structured support from the relevant governments and enterprise agencies in funding and facilitating inter-regional initiatives.

2. Encourage research collaboration through network building. Networking can be essential in kickstarting collaborative working and in helping supply chain organisations to know who to approach when opportunities arise. Specific proposed next steps for fostering these relationships are detailed in subsequent sections, however stakeholder asks worth highlighting include a desire for facilitated matchmaking activities to pair Scottish and French counterparts, and access to market intelligence materials focused on highlighting areas of strength in each respective supply chain.

3. Develop a research, test and demonstration platform specifically targeting projects showcasing the integration of floating wind and hydrogen systems. A range of research questions of shared interest have been identified and summarised in this report, and there is clear appetite from both Scottish and French organisations to work together to progress these.

4. Instil a focus on ‘Just Transition’ and skills development in these initiatives. Delivering opportunities for organisations currently embedded in traditional energy supply chains to re-focus their efforts on servicing emerging renewable energy markets is a key priority in both Scotland and France. Stakeholders feeding back to the project team suggested that all initiatives arising following this study should prioritise addressing this opportunity.

Further detail on the proposed means of implementing these recommendations, as well as the findings which have informed them, is provided in the sections which follow.