Michael Coulthard
Founder
Ultra Marine Energy Ltd
Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Seeking funding and support for a groundbreaking Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) spar based solution offering numerous cost and operational advantages.
About me
Chartered marine Engineer with a BSc from Imperial College with a long history of Design, innovation and Project management in the Offshore Oil and Gas Sector primarily on Oil filed developments.
The UME Spar was designed from first principles using the experience of managing O&G projects in the North Sea.
Key drivers were project risk, safety, robustness and life of field costs to delivery best returns on investment
My organisation
Developed from first principles to meet the main design criteria of life of field cost, safety, robustness, reduced risk and protection of investment. The concept has been patented and subjected to scale model testing at Stratclyde Hydrodynamics Tank to demonstrate stability in all orientations.
The turbine can be built, assembled, commissioned, and transported with blades in a horizontal position from shallow-water fabrication sites. Using self-buoyancy, the structure is easily towed to deeper waters, where it is upended into a vertical position without moving parts and towed to the final generating location.
Key benefits include:
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Highest local job creation
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Commercial feasibility in existing shallow water yards, reducing reliance on overseas manufacturing
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Lowest Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) among FOW solutions
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Reduced steel usage and fabrication complexity
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Enables large-scale automated manufacturing
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Full commissioning in the yard, ensuring safety
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Minimizes offshore intervention, enhancing operational safety
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Best-in-class resilience for harsh environments with optimized motion characteristics
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Simplified recovery systems extend lifespan and mean time between failures (MTBF)
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Purpose-built to minimize lifecycle costs
By lowering costs, maintaining efficiency, and extending operational life, this scalable technology promises better returns on investment. We believe our solution represents the future of Floating Offshore Wind, offering superior performance and cost advantages in the growing renewable energy sector.
We are seeking partners to help us continue the delivery process including Energy Companies, Investors, Fabricators and like minds.
Skills
- innovation
- project management
- concept development
- Application of science in Engineering
- Engineering solutions
Interests
- technology
- innovations
- Our world