Conference 2021

Aura Centre for Doctoral Training

in offshore wind energy and the environment

Conference 20-21 September 2021

The annual Aura Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) conference is an opportunity for industry and academia to come together to share the latest research around offshore wind and its environmental impacts.

 

At the Aura CDT Conference 2021, all our delegates were invited to answer one question on camera:

“How green is offshore wind energy”

The project was the brainchild of Aura CDT Cohort 2 student, Sarah Bee, who organised the filming and worked with University of Hull media students to produce an edited film.

Watch the resulting video for an interesting range of answers, taking in the full lifespan of an offshore wind facility and looking toward a sustainable future for the industry.

The 2021 event brought together exciting keynote speakers from the offshore wind industry and provided a platform for our talented PhD researchers to showcase their research.

The conference ran over two research-packed days!
Participants attended one or both sessions:

Monday 20 September – Day 1:

We welcomed our keynote speaker, who opened the conference:

Emma Toulson, Lead Stakeholder Advisor, Ørsted

Discussion stations

A lively interactive session dedicated to exploring, discussing, and learning about different facets of offshore wind energy. Discussion topics included:

-Women in offshore wind

-The ideal location for an offshore wind turbine

-Busting the myths around offshore wind

PhD Talks

A diverse set of talks from our Cohort 2 students, who are all just starting out on their PhD journeys with the Aura CDT. They explained their research plans, linking to their vision for the future of the offshore wind sector.

Tuesday 21 September – Day 2:

Including presentations from a variety of industry speakers, including:

-Jo Burgess, Head of Innovation Talent & Skills, InnovateUK

-Jim Fleming, Head of Energy, EPSRC

-Andrew Elmes, Head of Business Development, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy

-Prof Deborah Greaves, Head of the Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Hub, Plymouth University

-Danielle Lane, UK Country Manager, Vattenfall & Chair OWIC

Aura CDT Cohort 1 researchers also presented current findings from their first year of PhD research and were be joined by Postdoctoral Researchers, whose research fits within the Aura CDT themes.

View the programme from the 2021 conference Open here

“This is an exciting opportunity discuss the challenges that face the offshore wind energy – developing the talent, the technology and the innovation that is needed to grow the sector. An expanding offshore wind energy sector is vital for meeting the UK’s 2050 Net Zero targets and the Humber is placed at the centre of this ambition. We look forward to showcasing our cutting-edge research that supports this target.” 

Professor Dan Parsons, Director, Aura CDT and the Energy & Environment Institute at the University of Hull

Please contact auracdt@hull.ac.uk if you have any queries or would like to discuss any elements of the programme with the Aura CDT Team