Catapults
Technology Challenges

Improving inter-array cabling to enable efficient maintenance of large-scale floating offshore wind farms

 

 

bp’s purpose is to reimagine energy for people and our planet. It has set out an ambition ‎to be a net-zero company by 2050, or sooner and help the world get to net zero, and a ‎strategy for delivering on that ambition. We are pivoting from an ‎international oil company producing resources to an integrated energy company delivering solutions for ‎customers.‎ Our ‎strategy will reshape our business as we decarbonise and diversify into different forms of energy such as renewables, biofuels ‎and hydrogen.

We already have substantial onshore wind and solar portfolios and have recently announced an intent to scale our renewable energy capacity to 20GW by 2025 and 50GW by 2030. Offshore wind will be a major element of this growth, and we have already entered the offshore wind market in the UK and the US, two of the world’s most important regions.

Challenge Background

Minimise downtime for maintenance of floating wind assets.

bp’s new Sustainability Framework has defined a number of key aims which guide how to operate the  business in order to get to net-zero, improve people’s lives and care for our planet. Aim 11 is “more clean energy” and exploring ways to make clean energy accessible – (see Our aims | Who we are | Home (bp.com). In line with Aim 11, bp wishes to identify ways in which offshore floating wind farms can be designed and operated to minimise downtime for maintenance.

Wind energy is one of the most efficient ways to reduce emissions in the power sector. It drives decarbonisation while contributing to economic growth and is a leading element of the shift to renewable power generation globally. Floating technology will allow wind farms to exploit resources in deeper seabed areas. Environmental impact can be less and decommissioning easier. However, floating offshore wind still has a number of challenges to make it cost-competitive.

A key challenge area is the need for improved solutions to long term maintenance of offshore floating wind structures. Deeper water is a particular challenge for major component replacement as it is too deep for most jack-up vessels. “Tow to port” is a maintenance strategy considered for offshore floating wind farms, however, to be effective the time the asset is away (disconnected) needs to be minimized. bp is interested in finding solutions around disconnection, storage, and reconnection of inter-array cables on floating assets.

Solution Requirements

Functional requirements

We are open to a broad range of solutions that address the challenge in different ways. Some examples (not exhaustive) include:

  • Technologies that make (dis-)connection easier and faster
  • Technologies that improve cable storage
  • Technologies that make the operations and maintenance process safer
  • Technologies that improve the tow to port process

Technical Characteristics

Solutions should:

  • Be easy to work into varying floating foundation designs
  • Be easy to install as part of a newly built windfarm, and ideally capable of retrofit to an existing windfarm
  • Be cost-effective when deployed in volume

Operating conditions

Solutions should:

  • Not significantly alter the operating characteristics of the asset
  • Be reliable and durable
  • Have a design life of 25 years or more
  • Be compatible with the offshore environment (salt water, high winds etc)
  • Not require significant maintenance
  • Not require significantly new skills to operate or maintain
  • Not increase HSE or ergonomic risk
  • Not increase risk in ‘left’ condition

Timescales

  • Launch of the Competition: 15th November 2021
  • Deadline for applications: 15th December 2021
  • Selection and notification of finalists: week commencing 10th January 2022
  • Pitch event: 8th February 2022
  • Launch Academy begins end of February 2022

We are open to solutions that are almost ready for prototype testing (e.g. within 6 months of competition win) but we also welcome solutions that are more radical but could take longer (e.g. prototype within 2 years of competition win).

Market opportunity

Any solution which achieves the requirements could become industry best practice and therefore could be adopted across the industry.

Eligibility

Entrants to this competition must be:

Assessment

Applications will be assessed on:

  • Relevance to the topic
  • Innovative nature of the subject
  • Feasibility
  • Development potential
  • Maturity of project/solution
  • Ability to launch project quickly/Ease of implementation
  • Price/quality ratio
  • Suitability for the UK and European market

IP and potential commercial route

  • Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Launch Academy Participant(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the Launch Academy Participant (s) and Launch Academy Sponsors.
  • Any commercial deployment of transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the Launch Academy Participant(s) and Launch Academy Sponsors.
  • Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Launch Academy Participant (s) and Launch Academy Sponsors. ORE Catapult does not take any share of IP ownership or enter commercial ventures through the Launch Academy programme.

De-Minimis Disclaimer

Scottish Companies successful in the Launch Academy programme are supported by the De-Minimis funding provided by Scottish Enterprise.

If you have had public sector support, you should have been notified in writing of any de minimis element when the aid was awarded. You should have also been notified of the type of De-Minimis aid that you have received. The most common type of de minis aid is ‘general’ De-Minimis. However, other types of De-Minimis are given for the fishery and aquaculture sector, agricultural sector and services of general economic interest. If applicable, prior to granting De-Minimis aid, [we] must obtain a declaration from you, in written or electronic form, about any other de minimis aid. If selected for the second stage of interview process for the Launch Academy Programme, you are required as part of this application process to declare any such aid previously provided by a public body to your company or any company that you are linked to.

Please note that where De-Minimis funding is awarded under the exception in Article 3.2.4 of Title XI of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement signed on 30 December 2020 (as implemented by section 29 of the European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020) (the “TCA”), any previous amounts awarded to you from a public source in the UK in the last 3 fiscal years under either Article 3.2.4 of Title XI of the TCA or under EC Commission Regulation No 1407/2013 of 18 December 2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to De-Minimis aid will be relevant in ensuring any funding provided does not exceed the maximum subsidy limit of 325,000 Special Drawing Rights under Article 3.2.4 of Title XI of the TCA.  Please provide full information on any previous funding you have received under Article 3.2.4 of Title XI the TCA and/or EC De-Minimis Regulation 1407/2013 in the last 3 fiscal years.

Any funding which you have received under the UK COVID-19 Temporary Framework for UK authorities does not need to be included as De-Minimis funding.

 

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