Cutting-edge facility puts city on world stage

A NEW site at the University of Plymouth has been transformed into a cutting-edge facility set to enhance the nation’s energy security.

- By ABIGAIL NEEP

The Cyber-Resilience of Offshore Wind Networks (CROWN) Lab, which opened on Friday, November 7, is the first dedicated offshore wind cybersecurity research and test facility anywhere in the world.

The facility, which is housed within Plymouth — University's Marine Building, is home to two desktop training wind turbines, a replica wind turbine control system and a number of computer servers that create what is, in effect, a virtual offshore wind facility.

It will support investigations into the cyber vulnerability of offshore wind technology and control networks, enabling researchers to replicate hacking attempts and identify defences that may need to be deployed.

The facility will then be used to test new cybersecurity technologies and develop resilience procedures, security measures, tools and training that can be employed by those working in the industry.

The lab also has two remote operation stations and will in future host marine autonomous systems to test the security of technologies that will be used to monitor offshore energy installations.