Sofia launches Engineering Innovation Competition 2025 for Teesside University Students
60 Engineering Foundation Degree students will be supported through the team-based competition by RWE experts, with the winners announced in May
RWE has today launched the fourth round of the Sofia Engineering Innovation Competition at Teesside University
Following the success of previous years, the challenge invites students to consider blade inspection solutions for the offshore wind industry. During the launch, students were introduced to the scale of the operation at Dogger Bank and learned about the critical importance of technician safety, as well as the business costs associated with turbines that are out of action. Working in teams, students are asked to consider the importance of effective and efficient inspection processes with an emphasis on technician safety.
The competition is delivered as part of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm and Teesside University and is in addition to the scholarship RWE awards to a Teesside University Masters student.
Elsa Lamb, consents manager at Sofia and Mike Cargill, education consultant shared insights into the cutting-edge technology behind Sofia’s turbines. Manufactured at Siemens Gamesa’s (SGRE) blade factory in Hull, the 108-metre-long blades are engineered to withstand extreme offshore conditions.
However, the distance from shore adds complexity to inspection challenges. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for 25 years, each turbine blade rotates at speeds of up to 300mph at the tip, completing 12-15 revolutions per minute. Effective inspection techniques are essential to avoid costly downtime whilst prioritising technician safety and reducing the need for working at height.
This activity is an initiative within Sofia’s education programme, which is designed to encourage students into careers in offshore wind. The idea came from the engineering team at Sofia who were particularly interested in how they could inspect wind turbine blades on a large scale.
The challenge is divided into three parts:
Phase 1: Analysis of the initial problem
Phase 2: Range of solutions
Phase 3: Justification and a final presentation to the Sofia team
The competition forms part of the students’ coursework for the year, with judging taking place in May 2025.
Connor Lombardi, a student taking part, said of the afternoon: “The session has been informative and generated lots of ideas already. I am keen to get started with my team. Working on real life challenges is much more rewarding than textbook problems and allows us to better understand issues faced by industry.”
Dr Mohammadreza Mohammadi, lecturer in energy and sustainability added: “The competition is a brilliant opportunity for our students to learn about green energy and to practice skills like problem solving, teamwork and critical thinking. I am sure some of these students will end up contributing to the wind energy sector at some stage. It’s very exciting to see we are training the next generation of experts in the field.”
Akbar Naib-Khill, Lead Civil Engineer for the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm said: “The Sofia Engineering Innovation Competition is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain real-world experience and display their creativity in addressing key challenges in offshore wind. Over the last three years, we have seen a range of bright and innovative ideas, and we’re excited to see what this year’s participants will achieve."
“Through our education programmes, we hope to inspire young people to choose a career in offshore wind and highlight the range of opportunities available."
The programme will conclude in May with a judging competition. To celebrate this year's launch, RWE has published this short video about the judging event from 2024.