Page 17: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2022)

opportunity to share infrastructure with oil and gas facilities,

Going subsea

Others are developing subsea substation solutions, which electrifying existing facilities, which could allow a phased ap- proach to wind farm development. ABB and Kellas Infrastruc- wouldn’t need dynamic export cables. ABB unveiled its sub- sea power system back in 2019. While developed to meet oil ture Partners are working on this idea, Birkmore says.

Developer Aker Offshore Wind has said it will deploy a sub- and gas requirements, they also saw its applicability to off- sea substation if it wins its ScotWind bids – a major licensing shore wind. The 100 MW capacity, 3000m water depth sys- tem comprises of a subsea transformer, switchgear and subsea round in Scotland, the winners of which will be announced next year. Leif Holst - SVP Projects - Aker Offshore Wind power distribution up to 600km. This year ABB added off- shore wind to an agreement it has with Aker Solutions around says, “It’s an innovation we’re taking from the energy sector seabed solutions, while Aker Solutions has unveiled a subsea and applying to offshore wind.” He says having it on the sea- bed has a number of bene? ts, including using the natural cool- substation concept for ? oating wind. ing offered by the seawater, having it entirely unmanned and

Egil Birkmore, VP, HV infrastructure, Renewables, Aker So- lutions, says, “Subsea transformers have been used since the easier to maintain. “This is an area we’ve seen where we can 1990s, with no failures to date, and it means we don’t need push the LCOE down further and where we have technology dynamic export cables.” Putting the transformer subsea could in the (Aker) group that we can leverage,” he says.

However, depending on the water depth, these might face be 50-70% less capex compared with putting it in on a semi- submersible, he says, but this isn’t a one size ? ts all solution challenges, i.e. very deep waters with long power cables will – there are sweet spots, depending on water depth and how challenge economics, says Ralph Torr, program manager, at much power needs to be transmitted, he says. There’s also an the UK’s Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.

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