RWE has chosen UK software startup Indeximate as the winner of its competition for innovations in offshore wind.
Indeximate has developed a fibre optic-based sensing that can support preventive maintenance of subsea cables and at the same time monitor vessel traffic as well as the underwater environment, building a picture of the ecology pattern of marine life in offshore wind farms.
The two companies have also signed letter of intent to test the technology at RWE’s Arkona offshore wind farm in Germany.
In order to select the winner, RWE performed a thorough technical assessment with a jury made up of leading RWE experts from all relevant fields, and evaluated the potential of the submitted innovations.
During a ceremony at RWE’s headquarters in Essen, the winner was presented with the specially made award by Anika Borm, technical innovation lead at RWE Offshore Wind.
She said: “As one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, RWE promotes the pursuit of innovation in offshore wind.
“To support this ambition, we have launched our Innovation Competition.
“Combining our own expertise with promising new technology concepts will support us in achieving RWE’s ambitious growth and sustainability targets. From a large number of high-quality applications, Indeximate emerged as the winner.
The innovative element of their solution is the ‘Indeximation’ of acoustic data, ensuring a more detailed and targeted analysis of acoustic signatures in the subsea soundscape.
“In addition to cable condition monitoring, this system will provide for vessel as well as marine mammal identification and tracking.
“The technology has thus great potential for creating exciting insights into the ecological systems and supporting the preventive maintenance of RWE’s global offshore wind fleet.”
Indeximate co-founder Chris Minto added: “We are hugely honoured to receive this prestigious award and are excited at the opportunity to demonstrate how we can bring long-term sensing intelligence gains to RWE via cable condition monitoring.”