Aker Offshore Wind has outlined plans to use Scotland’s first offshore wind underwater substation as part of its ScotWind leasing round bids.
The multi-million pound subsea innovation would be developed, manufactured, and supplied in Scotland by Aker Solutions and provide major export opportunities for Scottish businesses, the company said.
The project would be delivered as a part of the ScotWind licensing process, for which Aker Offshore Wind has teamed up with Ocean Winds to submit a series of floating bids which could deliver up to 6GW in the Outer Moray Firth.
Substations are critical pieces of infrastructure in offshore wind farms that enable the transport of electricity generated to end consumers, such as homes and businesses.
In offshore wind farms they are traditionally installed above sea level but locating them on the seabed brings several reliability and cost benefits.
For example, the seawater can be used as a natural cooling system, while reliability is increased through stable temperatures, fewer components and no rotating parts.
In addition, operational costs can be decreased as less maintenance is required and material use is also reduced.
It would be by far the UK’s biggest wind energy development and power millions of homes with renewable energy.
Aker Solutions, a sister company of Aker Offshore Wind and a supplier to UK wind projects, would support the delivery of substations from its Aberdeen facilities.
Sian Lloyd-Rees, managing director of Aker Offshore Wind UK, said: “This is a world-leading innovation that would be developed, manufactured and supplied in Scotland.
“This technology would be supported by tens of millions of investment and work would start next year.
“It’s a proven technology that we are now using to ramp up the role of renewables in Scotland.”
Dan Finch, managing director of Ocean Winds UK, said the inclusion of underwater substations in the Scotwind bid is positioning Scotland at the front of the world’s offshore wind market, with a “new, innovative technology, offering the economic opportunities associated with a new product with global demand prospects”.
“Our two groups bring together considerable experience of working in the North Sea environment and delivering and operating offshore wind generation, giving us an unrivalled heritage from which to deliver innovation such as this at commercial scale,” Finch added.