Arrival of Craig White, ESR13 at WavEC

Although born in London, Craig grew up in the English countryside and has lived in Cardiff for most of his adult life. A role in energy efficiency sparked his interest in a greener career, which drove him to study an MSc in Renewable Energy Systems Technology at Loughborough University. Parallel to this, Craig worked in smart buildings and solar system design at Swansea University.

Recently, my partner and I sought warmer climes so moved to beautiful Lisbon. Outside of work, I am happiest when surfing, snowboarding, and exploring new places. My time in solar energy taught me valuable skills, especially in project design efficiency and data insights, but my heart has always been in offshore wind. The MSc course developed my understanding of renewable energy principles but throughout my studies, I always wanted to be involved in cutting-edge research. When this opportunity came, I had to take it. 
When asked about his vision of the project, Craig said:

Successful delivery of this project will increase the competitiveness and market presence of floating offshore wind, contributing to energy system decarbonisation. It will also help emerging markets such as green hydrogen and encourage international collaboration. Europe is in an enviable position to gain first mover status in floating offshore wind, and the FLOAWER project can achieve this. The scope is also incredibly exciting, assessing the entire industry via techno-economic modelling, and in its cohesion alongside the other ESR programmes, thus providing my motivation for this research. I expect the next three years to be challenging, rewarding, and exciting. I am looking forward to cooperation with fellow ESRs and institutes throughout the project, especially during the two secondments. I aim to apply the skills learnt during my MSc and develop new programming and modelling techniques to drive down the cost of floating offshore wind. I am eager to immerse myself into this exciting, nascent industry and to help push the world of offshore wind into new frontiers.