French duo Ideol and Atlantique Offshore Energy have unveiled market-ready plans for a floating substation for the the offshore wind sector.
The companies, in cooperation with ABB, have worked for two years on the substation design that is available for both fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind farms starting at depths of 40 metres.
The floating substation is based on Ideol’s damping pool concept and Atlantique Offshore Energy’s SeeOs offshore platform concept.
“With the installation of the topside onto the floater at quayside, with the testing and pre-commissioning at quayside as well as installation without heavy-lift offshore operations, this floating offshore substation generates significant cost reductions,” the developers said.
Ideol chief sales and marketing officer Bruno Geschier said: “Ideol, with its patented floating technology and unique in-house expertise, is excited and proud to once again collaborate with leading firms such as AOE and ABB and to contribute to the acceleration of commercial-scale floating offshore wind.”
Atlantique Offshore Energy head of sales and marketing Lionel Josse said: “This project reflects our capacity to capitalise on the lessons we have learned from the electrical offshore substations we successfully delivered, so as to innovate and to implement ready-to-market solutions.”