An offshore wind developer has outlined plans to utilise Scotland’s first offshore wind underwater substation as part of its bids for major offshore windfarms.
Aker Offshore Wind said its sister company Aker Solutions would develop, manufacture, and supply the multi-million subsea project in Scotland as part of the ScotWind licensing process, for which it has teamed up with Ocean Winds to submit a series of floating bids which could deliver up to 6,000MW of energy in the Outer Moray Firth.
It would be by far the UK’s biggest wind energy development and power millions of homes with renewable energy.
Energy revolution
Sian Lloyd-Rees, managing director of Aker Offshore Wind UK, said: “Both the Aker group and Ocean Winds have the necessary heritage and experience to deliver this at scale.
“We know the benefit is there – it will revolutionise how energy is produced and present Scotland with the opportunity to export genuinely innovative technology to the rest of the world.”
Aker Solutions, a key supplier to UK wind projects, is a frontrunner in developing subsea substations and related power system designs.
The company would support the delivery of substations from its Aberdeen facilities.
Seabed offers reliability
Substations – which help move the energy created by wind turbines into homes and businesses – are traditionally installed above sea level but moving them down to the seabed brings several reliability and cost benefits.
For example, the seawater can be used as a natural cooling system, while reliability is increased through stable temperatures, fewer components and no rotating parts.
In addition, operational costs can decrease by less maintenance and reduced material use.
Source: www.maritimejournal.com
Image: www.pexels.com
