Ghent University is proud to be the consortium leader of PhairywinD, a brand new offshore wind energy project. The main objective of this project is to prepare a community of nine PhD researchers from different Belgian knowledge institutes to tackle the current and future challenges of the Belgian offshore wind energy sector together.
The Belgian offshore wind zone is expanding, with 2.2 GW already installed and brand new zones being tendered. To ensure our place as frontrunners of wind energy in Europe and to stay on the forefront of technology trends and scientific advances, our industry needs a strong academic home base. And that is exactly what the PhairywinD project is all about.
These nine researchers all study their own dedicated subjects, ranging from legal issues to design optimisation and wind-wave prediction for vessel operations to high-spectral imaging for nondestructive testing and improved meteorology, and much more. What sets this multi-disciplinary and intersectoral training and research project apart is its connectivity, connecting nine Belgian knowledge institutions on the topic of offshore wind on the one hand, and linking key industrial players with Belgian research partners on the other hand. This way, once the new Belgian offshore wind zones are underway, Belgian academic support, knowledge and input will be guaranteed.
We’re off to a great start
- The project officially started in March this year and despite Covid-19 measures some of our PhDs have already started their research.
- In September this group will be immersed in the world of offshore wind energy during our first WindWeek. This week-long training will be hosted in Ostend Science Park.
- Furthermore, the official PhairywinD website has just been released today: phairywind.be It will be a gateway to follow the progress and growth of our young researchers and their network. Also check out our Twitter page.
The PhairywinD project is funded by the Energy Transition Fund of FPS Economy, runs for five years and hosts 10 partners: Ghent University, Université Libre de Bruxelles, UCLouvain, Universiteit Antwerpen, Université de Liège, von Karman Institute for fluid Dynamics, Université de Mons, KULeuven, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Sirris.
Ghent University leads the consortium. Contact: Marijke.Mahieu@UGent.be