WATCH: Subsea Substations – Leveraging Existing Technology to Reduce Costs off Offshore Wind

Abstract

Today, the traditional way of collecting and transferring the power from the wind farm is by using offshore substations which principally is a conventional Oil&Gas platform without the hydrocarbons. The offshore substation is a heavy and costly unit and for deeper waters also needs to be floating with the additional challenges related to power cables and anchoring dynamics. The substation also contains a substantial amount of auxiliary equipment, such as fans and pumps, to account for the large environmental variations that occur offshore, i.e., large HVAC systems to control and maintain stable temperatures. This equipment also requires maintenance and therefore the need to transport and host service personnel both for regular intervals but also for unexpected incidents, with their associated risks and HSE concerns, is eliminated. By locating the substation subsea, where the environmental conditions are stable and cold, the system can be significantly simplified and both reduce CO2 emissions and improve efficiency. The subsea industry has more than 25 years of experience with power distribution, and by leveraging this experience and competence, subsea substations can be a vital contribution to making offshore wind a safer and more economically viable solution. 

About the speaker

Arill Småland Hagland holds an MSc in Offshore Technology from the university of Strathclyde & Glasgow and is currently engaged in the Emerging Energies & Low Carbon Solutions group in OneSubsea Processing. Arill has over 20 years of experience in the industry and has had several roles within the OneSubsea organizations, ranging from mechanical and system engineering through project execution, early engagement and tendering management. One of his latest assignments was running and managing the Front End Engineering and Technology Qualification activities in the Ormen Lange phase 3 project. In his current position he works with leveraging the existing technologies, facilities and engineering expertise within Onesubsea to further develop our technology portfolio for the energy transition and help meet our net zero target.