Aviva pioneers offshore wind research with Supergen and the University of Exeter

Aviva and Supergen Offshore Renewable (ORE) Hub are partnering with the University of Exeter to fund a groundbreaking four-year PhD project, creating a novel risk management framework for offshore wind construction and operations insurance programmes.

Due to the rate of growth and innovation of offshore wind turbines, many wind farms are using different types of technology, including new innovations, which have a limited track record in terms of construction and operational experience. This means that insurance programmes for offshore wind farms are regularly adapting their risk management approach to ensure the best possible risk profile is captured, often working on assumptions and historical trends.

The PhD project will help to overcome this issue by challenging existing insurance risk management practices applied to the construction and operation of offshore wind farms. The new framework will play an important role in mitigating construction and operational risks associated with these projects. In addition, it will be valid for the current global fleet of offshore wind farms, as well as adaptable for future projects using new technologies.

This novel risk management approach will help Aviva to continue evolving its underwriting strategy and decision-making process for the placement of offshore wind insurance programmes, ensuring focus remains on factors that account for the most significant losses.

The research student will undertake a number of placements over their four-year course, with Aviva Risk Management Solutions (ARMS), which is providing overall oversight of the project. This will help the student to become familiar with the data Aviva handles, existing data analysis tools and pinch points linked to risk assessing offshore wind submissions.

The project is guided by a steering committee of key stakeholders from the offshore wind sector, McGill & Partners, a specialty insurance and reinsurance broker, and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. Each committee member brings a different perspective, helping to shape the project with insights from clients, brokers and the sector.

Matt Washington, Managing Director of Global, Corporate & Specialty at Aviva, says: “By funding this PhD project, we are not only supporting cutting-edge research but also enhancing our ability to manage risks in the offshore wind sector. This research has the potential to minimise risks and identify emerging technologies that will shape the future of offshore energy, making the transition to renewable energy easier and helping the UK get ready for the future.”

Professor Deborah Greaves OBE FREng, Professor in Ocean Engineering and Director of the Supergen ORE Hub, said: “In a rapidly expanding sector, this pioneering PhD project will support the development of a much-needed risk management framework tailored for advancing research and innovation in the offshore wind sector.

“The Supergen ORE Hub, through our core partner the University of Exeter, is pleased to partner with Aviva to address the underwriting challenges posed by rapid technological advancements, paving the way for a more resilient insurance landscape that fosters reduced costs and promotes increased financial sustainability in the sector. This initiative reflects the commitment of the Supergen ORE Hub to innovative research that accelerates the whole system development of offshore renewable energy, ensuring the sustainability of our energy future.”

Professor Philipp Thies, University of Exeter, said: “This is an important area of work and brings together our risk and reliability work for offshore renewable energy with the commercial insurance perspectives. Through its partners, the project will have access to a unique data set to develop a new risk management framework.”

Andy Overton, Head of Business Development at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult said: “ORE Catapult is pleased to contribute our independent, trusted, expert knowledge to this research project designed to further the development of effective risk management strategies for the offshore renewable energy sector.

“These are critical issues affecting the successful future deployment of offshore renewable energy developments designed to move us closer to achieving the UK’s Net Zero ambitions.  A core part of our role is to help foster innovation to drive the sustainable growth of the UK’s offshore renewable energy sector, and help secure the economic potential that brings, so this work perfectly complements that mission.”

Michael Walker, Partner, Renewables, Power and Energy, at McGill and Partners, said: “At McGill and Partners, we are excited to contribute to this project aimed at creating a more effective framework for risk interpretation for offshore wind construction and operations. As a trusted, specialty insurance broker in the offshore wind sector, we are proud to have a role guiding this important research which offers a unique opportunity to highlight the work of insurance risk management. This will help shape a more resilient and sustainable framework for the future of the industry.”

The offshore wind energy sector has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade. The UK has seen a substantial increase in wind energy generation, with offshore wind accounting for 13% of total electricity generation in 2020^[1]. This growth is expected to continue, with new offshore wind projects totalling 108GW planned for the UK and Europe by 2030.

The first paper on offshore wind cable failures from this project was presented at the RENEW 24 Conference in Lisbon in November 2024. This presentation, available on the University of Exeter’s Repository, marked a significant milestone in the project’s progress and showcased the practical implications of the research. 

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^1. _{Wind energy in the UK - Office for National Statistics [↑]}

^{About The Supergen ORE Hub}

^{The Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub is a £16.5 million Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) programme (2018–2027), that unites academia, industry, policymakers, and the general public to advance offshore wind, wave, and tidal technologies for societal benefit.}

^{Led by the University of Plymouth, the Hub includes leading universities at the forefront of offshore renewable energy research including Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Exeter, Hull, Manchester, Oxford, Southampton, Strathclyde and Warwick.}

^{It provides research leadership, fosters collaboration, nationally and internationally and aims to optimise offshore renewable energy solutions. Our research is helping to reduce design uncertainty in offshore renewable energy, improve performance, learn from data, and find new ways to plan, build and operate offshore renewable energy facilities.}

^{Positioned as a trusted voice in the offshore renewable energy sector, the Supergen ORE Hub promotes a holistic whole-system approach to energy and emphasises the urgency of change.}

^{Find out more.} 

^{About McGill and Partners}

^{McGill and Partners is an independent, specialty insurance and reinsurance broker, different by design and focused on addressing the sophisticated needs of our clients around the world. Structured to operate without silos, through an innovative single profit centre, we deliver our full range of expertise to clients and build long-term partnerships with them and our retail broking partners.}

^{Headquartered in London, we work with clients globally and have offices in Bermuda, the US, Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, and Germany. The firm has significant backing from funds affiliated with Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm, alongside founder and employee ownership.}