Deepwater Offshore Wind: Maximising the opportunity

The introduction of a dedicated Other Deep Offshore Wind (ODOW) category within the latest UK Contracts for Difference (CfD) round, AR8, is an important milestone for the offshore wind sector. It acknowledges a reality that has been clear for some time: future offshore wind deployment will increasingly move into deeper waters, where the technical and commercial challenges differ significantly from those faced by today's mainstream bottom-fixed projects.

The creation of a dedicated category for new technologies is therefore welcome.

However, as government, industry and investors consider how best to support the next generation of offshore wind projects, the focus is currently on conventional bottom-fixed foundations versus ODOW and floating wind technologies. While these will play critical roles in the future offshore wind mix, and support the development of the UK industry, they miss a potentially valuable middle ground.

The future is a portfolio, not a technology choice

If the UK is to achieve offshore wind deployment at the pace and scale required, it will need to draw upon a broad portfolio of solutions, each suited to different water depths, site conditions, supply chain constraints and project economics.

That portfolio will likely include:

Conventional bottom-fixed foundations, where they remain the most efficient solution.

Evolutionary bottom-fixed concepts, which extend established concepts into deeper water.

Novel ODOW technologies, developed specifically to address deeper-water challenges.

Floating wind, which will be critical in the deepest and most complex environments.

The challenge for industry and policymakers alike is ensuring that support mechanisms and market frameworks enable the right mix of solutions to emerge rather than favouring one category over another.

The overlooked middle ground

Much of the current discussion around deepwater offshore wind focuses on breakthrough innovation and novel concepts. Yet some of the most compelling opportunities may lie in the simpler evolution of technologies that already have a compelling track record in offshore wind.

This includes concepts such as split jacket foundations, monopiles with subsea connections and hybrid fixed-bottom foundations.

These designs do not seek to replace existing ideas. Instead, they build upon decades of experience and adapt mature technologies to address the practical challenges associated with deeper-water deployment.

Why evolutionary concepts matter

How quickly the industry can expand into deeper waters is not simply a question of technical feasibility, but the ability to deliver projects at commercial scale. While novel ODOW technologies will undoubtedly have an important role to play, they are on a journey from concept development through demonstration and early commercial deployment before reaching the maturity and certainty required for large-scale roll-out.

Evolutionary bottom-fixed concepts offer a different pathway.

Because they extend established concepts, they benefit from decades of offshore engineering knowledge, proven design methodologies, established certification frameworks, developed supply chains and extensive operational experience. They may also offer a more familiar risk profile for developers, contractors, lenders and investors. Their innovation lies primarily in how structures are fabricated, transported and installed rather than in fundamentally new structural behaviour.

This should not be viewed as a choice between evolutionary and innovative solutions. Both are needed. The question is how best to combine technologies with different maturity levels to maximise offshore wind deployment over the coming decades. In that context, evolutionary bottom-fixed concepts deserve consideration because they may represent one of the fastest and lowest-risk routes to scaling deepwater offshore wind and can provide a bridge between today’s established fixed-bottom market and the longer-term future of ODOW and floating wind when these technologies mature.

The challenge within the current framework

The emergence of the ODOW category within AR8 rightly recognises that projects in deeper waters face a different set of technical and commercial challenges and reflects a legitimate desire to support these. However, there is a question as to where evolutionary foundation concepts fit within today's categorisation.

With the current framework, there is a risk that valuable options fall into a gap between categories: too advanced to compete with traditional bottom-fixed projects on price, yet not currently recognised in the ODOW category and able to target a higher strike price. This may inadvertently limit the range of solutions available to the industry at a critical phase as it seeks to accelerate deployment into deeper waters.

This balance will be particularly important as the CfD framework continues to evolve. The UK's long-term offshore wind ambitions will require successful commercialisation of both ODOW and floating wind technologies, recognising that these solutions will ultimately unlock resources beyond the practical reach of today's bottom-fixed foundations. Supporting their progression from demonstration projects to repeatable commercial deployment is therefore essential. Equally, however, the framework must continue to facilitate near-term deployment at scale, ensuring that technologies capable of delivering capacity in the 2030s are not overlooked in favour of those targeting longer-term commercial maturity.

Final thoughts

The UK's offshore wind ambitions are ultimately about outcomes: deploying capacity, strengthening supply chains, improving energy security and supporting decarbonisation. The industry should remain open to any solution capable of delivering projects safely, economically and at scale, whether that is a conventional monopile, a modular jacket, a novel deepwater concept or a floating platform.

Industry's success will depend not on promoting a single approach, but on understanding where different solutions create value and how to integrate these into a coherent deployment strategy.

AR8's introduction of the ODOW category is an important step in recognising the challenges and diverse technology landscape that will underpin the next phase of offshore wind growth. But if we are to maximise the opportunity, the conversation should not focus solely on conventional versus novel concepts. Between those two endpoints lie options that build on proven foundation technologies while addressing key challenges associated with deeper-water deployment.

A successful offshore wind future will not be delivered by a single foundation technology but by deploying the right combination of solutions, in the right locations, at the right time. And that requires keeping the door open to evolution as well as revolution.