Norway Is Deploying The World’s First Floating Wind Powered Subsea System

The first floating-wind powered subsea system is about to be deployed by Norway, a leader in renewable energy and a significant development in offshore wind technology. In order to launch a ground-breaking subsea power system, Aker Solutions, a well-known Norwegian service provider for the energy industry, has signed a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract with the Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre).

The Subsea Collector is a revolutionary technology that promises to change the offshore wind farm scene by providing a more economical and adaptable solution. The Subsea Collector connects several wind turbines electronically in a star arrangement as opposed to the traditional daisy chain pattern. Due to the lower cable lengths per turbine and park made possible by this design, building will be less complicated and will save a significant amount of money.

The Subsea Collector will be tested at the METCentre, which is situated off the southwest coast of Karmøy, Norway. By 2026, the present offshore wind test area, which has two floating turbines, is expected to include seven turbines. On a 1GW floating wind farm, preliminary data point to possible cost savings of up to 10%.

The Subsea Collector comprises a 66kV wet mate connection system and subsea switchgear with supervisory control and data acquisition provided by Benestad and ABB, respectively. The installation will be carried out by the Windstaller Alliance, a collaboration between Aker Solutions, DeepOcean, and Solstad Offshore. Aker Solutions will also provide the static export cable to shore.

Jo Kjetil Krabbe, the executive vice president of Power Solutions at Aker Solutions, emphasizes the significance of industry collaboration in developing the Subsea Collector. The project aims to address challenges faced by the offshore wind sector, with the hope that the technology will become a field-proven system benefiting the industry for years to come.

The METCentre’s decision to proceed with the Subsea Collector pilot installation underscores the potential of the technology to shape the infrastructure of large-scale floating wind parks. Arvid Nesse, CEO of METCentre and Norwegian Offshore Wind, highlights the project’s contribution to driving innovation within floating offshore wind on a global scale.

With Norway’s reputation as a world-leading facility for testing marine renewable energy technologies, the Subsea Collector pilot project aligns perfectly with METCentre’s commitment to advancing the global floating offshore wind industry. The project represents a significant step forward in developing a more cost-efficient and sustainable future for offshore wind developments.