Aquaterra Energy has teamed up with Launch Academy East of England to advance its technology for offshore wind. Its goal is to implement an affordable fibre-optic monitoring system in the concrete structures of offshore wind installations. This innovation provides operators with assurance that their assets meet design specifications, offers insight into remaining lifespan, and cuts lifetime operating expenses.
Established in 2005, Aquaterra Energy specialises in solving offshore engineering challenges.
Aquaterra Energy has a team of around 130 people and operates globally, with 80% of projects delivered outside the UK. Its teams are involved in technology innovation, global analysis, initial engineering concepts, and the complete process of engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCi).
Over the last five years, it has focused on transitioning its heritage oil and gas skills into the energy transition sector and has built a division to deliver on projects in fixed and floating offshore wind, carbon capture and storage and offshore renewable hydrogen.
It is currently developing embedded fibre-optic technology within the fixed and floating offshore wind sector to offer low-cost monitoring of concrete structures offshore.
Aquaterra Energy supports its customers in operating as responsibly and sustainably as possible by integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles into everything it does. The business has been carbon neutral since 2020 and has also been awarded Platinum in the EcoVadis Sustainability rating system. This places it in the top 1% of companies globally.
Fibre-optics are widely used in various industries to measure temperature, stress, strain, and cracking within structures onshore and offshore. Intelligently engineered and deployed, they have strong applicability to the offshore wind sector.
Embedded fibre-optic technology is a low-cost approach to condition monitoring, as it uses inexpensive materials, and measures a range of key properties, such as concrete curing temperatures to stress and strain cycles.
Applying embedded fibre-optic cables into wind assets during construction means that build quality can be monitored and mapped, and through intelligent software development, the asset’s structural health can be measured as it moves through installation, operation, and decommissioning.
Aquaterra Energy’s solution monitors cement temperature during curing and detects cracks and crack propagation during installation and operation. This information builds confidence in the asset by providing assurance of quality and lifetime condition monitoring of the concrete structure.
After successfully expanding into offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture storage in recent years, Aquaterra Energy is committed to creating value for the offshore renewable energy sector with its new embedded fibre-optic condition monitoring technology.
William English, Offshore Analyst, from Aquaterra Energy said: “With the help of Launch Academy East of England, we will gain exposure from industry experts who can refine our solution in the floating wind sector. ORE Catapult’s extensive network will be of great help to us as we build market momentum behind our embedded fibre-optic technology.
“Our focus is on developing systems that facilitate the rapid deployment of offshore wind technology. We are eager to fast-track the peer and industry review process for our solution.”
Find out more: https://aquaterraenergy.com/
Imogen Stevenson
Innovation Manager - East of England
