Applications now open for DNV’s and EEHH-Cluster’s second Offshore Innovation Award

The application phase for innovations in offshore wind runs between 25th March to 18th April 2021.

Hydrogen production from offshore wind farms, corrosion protection, new types of foundations - there are no limits to the applicants' imagination when submitting an entry for the second Offshore Innovation Award. The Renewable Energies Hamburg Cluster (EEHH) and DNV, the assurance service provider, will award the prize during the first virtual Hamburg Offshore Wind (HOW) Conference on 28 April 2021.

The application phase for innovations in offshore wind runs between 25th March to 18th April 2021. After a pre-selection judging phase, three chosen nominees will present their innovations to a live audience on 28th April 2021. The attendees of the virtual HOW conference will then be given an opportunity to vote for a winner. The EEHH-Cluster and DNV are organizing the HOW conference together for the fourth time.

The evaluation criteria for the pre-selection judging phase of the Offshore Innovation Award 2021 includes practical utility and possible market success, the extent of (technical) innovation, the potential for significant cost reductions in offshore wind farms, the overall professional impression and practical applicability.

The inaugural Offshore Innovation Award was presented to Esteyco in 2019 for their inventive retractable offshore wind turbine which could be transported to an installation site using a floating approach and installed without large installation vessels and cranes.

Jan Rispens, EEHH Managing Director, said: “With the new 2040 target for offshore wind expansion in Germany and the EU's long-term goals for offshore wind development, the industry has even more reasons to demonstrate the innovative capabilities of the last two decades which will help to guide the industry into the future. In many ways, small detailed solutions as well as large contexts helps continue to spur the offshore wind industry forward. We want to honor this recognition with our award in 2021."

Peter Frohböse, Head of Engineering & Analytics, DNV, said: “The cost pressure on the offshore wind industry remains high. The construction of wind farms which are developed in increasingly remote locations from the coast, some with floating wind turbines, means that there are significant challenges for installation and operations. At the same time, we see that the market is developing rapidly on a global scale, after great successes in European waters. Many innovations are also required for the development of global supply chains and plant types in other regions.”

The Terms and Conditions for applications for the Offshore Innovation Award can be found on the event website

Please send your applications by 18th April 2021 to: how.innovationaward@dnv.com