Aker Solutions has signed a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract with the Norwegian Marine Energy Testing Centre (Metcentre) to test new subsea power system technologies for offshore wind farms.
Aker Solutions will offer a new transmission technology called Subsea Collector, which it says has the potential to significantly reduce the cost and complexity of offshore wind farms. The technology will be applied to Metcentre's offshore wind test area, which consists of two floating offshore wind turbines located off the southwest coast of Karmy, Norway 62 miles (10 km) away. In 2026, the test area will be expanded to seven floating offshore wind turbines.
Aker Solutions said in a press release that Subsea Collector offers an alternative solution that electrically connects multiple wind turbines in a star configuration rather than the traditional daisy-chain pattern, "making the architecture and construction of offshore wind farms more flexible." The design can also reduce the length of cables per turbine and wind farm, reducing vessel time and installation costs, the company said, adding that preliminary findings support total cost savings of up to 10% for a 1 GW floating wind farm.
The main components of the Subsea Collector include a 66kV wet-fit connection system supplied by Beneshad and subsea switchgear with supervisory control and data acquisition provided by ABB, a subsea power and automation alliance partner. According to the press release, the installation will be carried out by the Windsheller Alliance, which consists of AKER Solutions, DeepOcean and Solstad Offshore. AKER Solutions will also supply static export cables to the coast.
Jo Kjetil Krabe, Executive Vice President, Power Solutions at AkerSolutions, said: "The Subsea Collector is a great example of true industry collaboration. Combining Aker Solutions' extensive subsea experience with our partners' proven control and connection systems, we aim to solve the challenges currently faced by the offshore wind industry. We hope that this project will result in a field-proven system that will benefit the industry for many years to come."
"Over the past decade, we have gained extensive experience from complex subsea projects, providing reliable high-voltage power systems to support developments such as Sgard and more recently Jansz Lo," Krabe added. We are now using this expertise to develop equipment and technology for the next generation of subsea power systems for more cost-effective offshore wind development. ”
Arvid Nesse, CEO of Metcentre and Norwegian Offshore Wind Company, said: "This groundbreaking project will help shape the infrastructure of the future large floating wind farms. The technology is under development, and the project demonstrates how the subsea expertise of the Norwegian oil and gas industry is driving innovation in floating offshore wind on a global scale. Metcentre's activities will help develop an already strong Norwegian ** chain, providing experience and valuable insights. The Subsea Collector will greatly benefit the test customers and the ** chain, and will have a positive impact on the 400 members of Norwegian offshore wind. ”
At the same time, Aker Solutions said it plans to expand its presence in Poland with the establishment of a new company aimed at supporting project execution in Poland, Norway and internationally. New Polish joint venture AKER Solutions Poland SPz o.o.It will leverage AKER Solutions' existing business and decades-long cooperation with Polish shipyards and engineering companies.
Sturla Magnus, Executive Vice President of New Build, said: "The formation of this new company is in line with Aker Solutions' growth ambitions and will significantly strengthen our presence in Poland. As an engineering and project resource center, the company will support not only our project activities in Poland, but also AkerSolutions projects in Norway and our international locations."
In an earlier press release, Aker Solutions said Bartlomiej Kwiatek is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in shipyard and offshore operations for oil, gas and renewable energy projects and will take on the role of general manager once the company is officially operational. (Compiled by Xiao Chen).
For more exciting content, please visit WeChat*** Smart Energy Window