Engineering company Aker Solutions has entered into a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract with Norway’s Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre) to test a new subsea power system technology.
This technology, named Subsea Collector, could potentially reduce the costs and complexity of offshore wind farms.
The star-shaped system offers an alternative way to connect multiple wind turbines electrically, providing more flexibility in wind farm architecture and construction.
It allows for reduced cable length per turbine, resulting in lower installation costs.
The initial findings suggest potential cost savings of up to 10% on a 1GW floating wind farm.
The METCentre will pilot the Subsea Collector at its offshore wind test area, expanding from two to seven floating offshore wind turbines by 2026.
The Chief Executive Officer of METCentre and Norwegian Offshore Wind, Arvid Nesse, said: “This pioneering project will contribute to shaping the infrastructure in future large scale floating wind parks.
“The technology is under development, and the project demonstrates how Norwegian subsea expertise from the oil and gas industry drives innovation forward within floating offshore wind on a global scale.”
