Halo – UK (North Sea)
Case Study: Transformational Low Carbon Subsea Power Project
Overview:
Renewables for Subsea Power (RSP), a pioneering collaborative commercial-scale demonstration, introduced an innovative approach to delivering fully autonomous offshore power to subsea systems using renewable energy. A number of global energy majors supported the project, which was deployed in the UK North Sea for 13 months in 2023.
Challenge:
The project required a system that could:
- Deliver continuous power to a Subsea Control Module (SCM) & Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) during periods of Wave Energy Converter (WEC) generation intermittency
- Provide a communications pathway for the payloads
- Operate reliably in harsh environments with minimal intervention
- Integrate seamlessly with collaborator technology and systems
Objectives:
- Provide reliable power delivery and communications to seabed assets
- Reduce emissions in response to evolving climate policies and regulatory frameworks
- Demonstrate durability and reliability of the system in harsh environments over an extended period of time
Solution:
Verlume supplied its Halo, consisting of an intelligent subsea battery and management system, ensuring surplus power was available for use during periods of renewable energy intermittency.
Key Project Features Included:
- Intelligent subsea battery and energy management system (Verlume’s Halo)
- WEC
- SCM
- AUV and a docking station
- Umbilical and moorings: Dynamic umbilical with swivel and weak-link breakaway
Results:
- Successful install and recovery in harsh environments
- 13-month offshore deployment
- 50 AUV effective docking/undockings
- Demonstrated infrastructure survivability/reliability
- Successful demonstration of functionality and reliability in a representative offshore operating environment, achieving over 95% communications uptime.
Key Takeaways:
- Proven survivability and reliability of full scale, off-grid renewable energy integration with Verlume’s systems.
- Reduced cost and risk alternative to traditional offshore power supply systems such as subsea umbilicals and vessels intervention.
- Reduced emissions and carbon footprint compared to traditional operations.
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