Powering Autonomy through Collaboration

Powering Autonomy through Collaboration:

A Low Carbon Subsea Power Project

Overview

Renewables for Subsea Power (RSP), a groundbreaking, collaborative and commercial-scale demonstration, introduced a trailblazing approach to providing fully autonomous offshore power to subsea systems using renewable energy. Several global energy majors supported the project, including Baker Hughes, Total Energies and Shell. The project was deployed in the UK North Sea, near Orkney, for 13 months in 2023/2024, with the initial development and design underway since 2020.

Situation

Subsea power and data transfer have long required a fundamental shift, fuelled by innovation. With current solutions using umbilical cables spanning kilometres on the seabed, it is necessary to find a more reliable, improved solution. In addition, testing the ability of renewable energy to power subsea technology is critical in light of the energy transition. RSP achieved both these goals. It has demonstrated a viable solution with the potential to overcome many challenges across a variety of industries, not just in the subsea environment.

Challenges

Provide continuous power to a Subsea Control Module (SCM)
Transfer data at high speeds subsea to allow for seamless communications.
Eliminate the need for kilometres of umbilicals, offering a more reliable, flexible and streamlined solution.
Test the technology in a harsh marine environment.
Demonstrate the feasibility of a long-term autonomous subsea system.
Deliver a solution that requires minimal vessel or human intervention.

What we did

Krona Subsea supplied its Maelstrom pinless connector, a non-contact wireless underwater connection technology, which enabled high-speed data and power transfers. Krona Subsea also deployed a custom resident docking system, which allowed for real-time remote updates, mission cycling, asset inspections and environmental surveys without manual handling. Krona Subsea’s critical infrastructure connected Mocean Energy’s ocean energy convertor with Verlume’s subsea battery and energy management system. These technologies were seamlessly integrated, forming an autonomous underwater operation for suitable for offshore projects.

Outcome

The proven success of the Orkney RSP project, with 13 months of autonomous monitoring, power and data transfer at subsea depths, has developed a solution that is scalable for offshore energy, marine science and defence applications. The project was supported by numerous global energy majors, emphasising its reliability, flexibility and sustainability through merging a variety of collaborative technologies. It has demonstrated that green technologies can provide continuous low-carbon power and communications subsea, proving the feasibility of an autonomous system. It has been proven that Krona Subsea’s Maelstrom pinless connector is fit for purpose in subsea projects to provide power and high-speed data transfer. We also supplied Boxfish’s ARV-i AUV which minimised intervention, playing a vital role in RSP’s success.

Additionally, the autonomous subsea system was able to contend with the harshest of metocean, including Storm Babette.

Our aim is to ensure this project will become the standard for the offshore energy sector, removing the need for hundreds of kilometres of cables while reducing costs and risks.

This test project is likely to be scaled and applied to live assets in the near future, transforming operations in the offshore energy sector, where it will have the most benefit.

“Krona’s innovation was a key component to the project success, providing a fully autonomous element to a standalone subsea system, enabling long term residency for real-time monitoring and surveillance in the growing blue economy.”

Powering Autonomy through Collaboration