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Aker Solutions signs FEED engineering contract with METCentre in Norway for wind testing and wind farm infrastructure.
The Aker Solutions platform has just reached an agreement to carry out testing of a new subsea power system technology in partnership with the Marine Power Test Center (METCentre) in Norway. This technology promises to reduce costs and complexities in offshore wind farms, positively impacting the energy sector
The project will involve the implementation of Subsea Collector, an innovative power transmission technology, at the METCentre offshore wind test area, located 10 km off the southwest coast of Karmøy, Norway. This system promises to bring significant advances to the development of offshore wind farms, bringing more efficiency and profitability to the energy sector.
Expansion of the Offshore Wind Turbine Test Area
The test area will be expanded to seven floating offshore wind turbines from 2026. This demonstrates significant progress in the evolution of the wind test and reinforces the commitment to innovation and technological advancement in the offshore wind energy sector.
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Alternative Solutions in Subsea Collector to Connect Wind Turbines
The Subsea Collector provides an alternative solution for connecting multiple wind turbines electrically in a star configuration instead of the traditional daisy chain pattern. This innovation allows greater flexibility in the architecture and construction of offshore wind farms, demonstrating the constant evolution of the energy distribution system on subsea platforms.
Total Cost Savings and the Importance of the Subsea Collector
Initial findings support total cost savings on a 1 GW floating wind farm of up to 10%, according to Aker Solutions. This highlights the efficiency and economic benefits provided by advances in the power transmission on underwater platforms, reinforcing its importance in the sector.
Subsea Collector Core Components and Strategic Partnerships
The main parts of the Subsea Collector are a 66kV wet connection system supplied by Benestad and a Subsea panel with supervisory control and data acquisition. This partnership highlights strategic collaboration in developing advanced and reliable subsea power systems.
Windstaller Alliance and Future of Offshore Wind Energy
The installation will be carried out by Windstaller Alliance, an alliance between Aker Solutions, DeepOcean and Solstad Offshore. This is a significant step forward in the progress of wind testing technology, highlighting the continued improvement of test kits for offshore wind turbines.
Project Impact on the Offshore Wind Energy Industry
By combining Aker Solutions' vast subsea experience with our partners' proven control and connection systems, we aim to solve the challenges currently facing the offshore wind sector. The technology is under development and the project demonstrates how the Norwegian subsea experience from the oil and gas industry drives innovation in floating offshore wind energy on a global scale.
Innovation and Development in Floating Wind Farm Infrastructure
This pioneering project will help shape the infrastructure in future large-scale floating wind farms. The technology is under development and the project demonstrates how the Norwegian subsea experience from the oil and gas industry drives innovation in floating offshore wind energy on a global scale. These advances have the potential to revolutionize wind farm infrastructure, with broad applications across Europe and beyond.
