University of Edinburgh engineers and CGEN Engineering have developed modular generator technology the founders say could reduce the levelised cost of energy for offshore renewables by 10-15%.
The lightweight, stackable generator system can be easily transported to onshore and offshore wind, wave and tidal installations, where it is assembled into a complete power system for converting mechanical energy into electricity.
In contrast with conventional systems, each module can be added, replaced or moved individually, meaning energy companies can keep operations running without long downtimes.
They can also upgrade their system over time without major overhauls.
Invented by Markus Mueller of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering and developed by CGEN’s managing director, research fellow Joseph Burchell, alongside mechanical and manufacturing engineer Mike Galbraith, the team has demonstrated the technology at scales from 10kW to 1MW.
By assessing comparative data, they have found that their technology can increase the operational life of installations by 30-40% when compared to conventional generator systems, while reducing the lifetime operating and maintenance costs for generator installations by 50-70%.
Burchell said: “We believe our technology directly addresses the critical gaps in the UK’s offshore renewable energy supply chain.
“Firstly, component supply: we offer an assembly line production of modular parts, alleviating supply bottle necks while offering engineering expertise to support large-scale deployment.
“Secondly, access, operation, and maintenance: if a fault occurs, it can be bypassed until the module can be replaced, instead of requiring a complex generator system overhaul or replacement.
“This allows for minimum operational downtimes with improved power production revenue.
“It also utilises smaller infrastructure such as cranes, vessels, and transportation, significantly cutting costs and logistics complexity.
“Lastly, by extending turbine life through part replacement rather than scrapping the whole unit, we support the circular economy, bringing us closer to achieving the UK’s net zero targets.”
Supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service, the CGEN team has been working with various companies to design and test the technology, including University of Edinburgh startup Mocean Energy, which is using CGEN technology in its BlueX wave energy converter.
Cameron McNatt, managing director of Mocean Energy, said: “CGEN was used in our Blue X prototype wave energy converter for all sea trials, including the successful 13 months of sea testing as part of the Renewables for Subsea Power project.
“It has demonstrated resilience and dependability throughout, and we thank the team for being an integral part of our technology development.
“We look forward to further collaborations moving forward.”