Well connected: Power collection and distribution in floating wind farms
Offshore floating wind offers a cornerstone for a new global energy mix, but investors demand higher efficiency outputs. At the heart of this dilemma lies the need for innovative infrastructure that can deliver power efficiently, reliably, and at scale. Enter the Aker Solutions Subsea Collector—a game-changing technology designed to optimize the way floating wind farms are connected and operated.
What is the Subsea Collector?
The Subsea Collector is a pioneering subsea power hub that connects multiple floating wind turbines in a star configuration, as an alternative to daisy-chain configuration. This innovation is the result of Aker Solutions’ decades of subsea expertise, now applied to the unique challenges of floating offshore wind.
It collects power from all connected wind turbines and transfers them to a subsea substation, or topside facility.
Benefits for floating wind projects
Each floating wind turbine connects via just one dynamic cable.
This simplifies installation, reduces potential failure points, and lowers maintenance costs—delivering greater reliability and efficiency.
The Collector’s star configuration minimizes the total cable length required.
Less cable means lower material and installation costs, reduced complexity, and significant savings—up to 10% for a 1GW wind farm.
The system enables standardized designs for towers and floaters, each with a single cable connection.
Standardization streamlines manufacturing and deployment, making it easier and faster to scale up and expand wind farms.
Incorporates proven 66kV wet mate connectors, subsea switchgear, and advanced control systems.
These robust components, adapted from the oil & gas sector, enhance system reliability and reduce the risk of cable failures.
Fewer and shorter cables mean less time needed for vessels during installation campaigns.
This reduces schedule risk, lowers operational costs, and accelerates project delivery.
The star configuration reduces constraints on mooring design and platform motion.
Developers gain more options for efficient, robust mooring solutions—improving platform stability and overall wind farm performance.
The system maintains wind farm operability even if one turbine fails.
This ensures maximum energy output and revenue, with minimal downtime.
Currrent and voltage measurements enable remote condition monitoring and fault searching.
Remote operation functionality means faulty units can be disconnected to maintain continuous production from healthy turbines.
Why it matters
Aker Solutions Subsea Collector offers a new technology that’s a strategic enabler for offshore floating wind. By reducing costs, improving reliability, reducing carbon footprint as well as supporting efficient large-scale deployment, it unlocks greater potential from floating wind investments, improving the cost base of this sustainable energy source.
Want to know more
Contact us to find out more about Subsea Collector.
