The challenge

Offshore wind power is one of the energy sources with greater future projection. This is mainly due to two factors: the possibility of installing larger wind turbines and farms offshore than onshore where visual impact plays a major role; and on the other hand, wind is stronger and more stable offshore, which makes two very appropriate qualities for wind power generation.

Nevertheless, some challenges stand in the way of offshore wind power: the location of stations which are increasingly farther offshore and difficult to access; hostile environment demands; growing complexity and cost of installation, operation and maintenance activities; or restrictive power supply demands.

The solution

With a view to finding new solutions for the above problems and exploring the opportunities of offshore wind power, a group of Basque Companies have launched the R&D project MARINEL.

Iberdrola, La Naval, Oasa, Ormazabal, Arteche, Ingeteam and Semantic, with the collaboration of the Basque Energy Cluster and the Basque Maritime Forum, have worked together on this project for 3 years to find technological solutions aimed at improving offshore wind power efficiency and competition.

The main aim of this initiative was to develop the optimised concept design of a large offshore auto-installable substation enabling the reduction of installation and transport costs as well as adaptation to different depths and types of seabed. MARINEL is also seeking to reinforce Basque industry in the offshore wind power sector.

The project focuses on two areas: the substation infrastructure and electric equipment contained within.

The outcome

The project has resulted in a substation design with rated power of 500 MW. This solution can be adapted to different types of seabed and is valid for depths of up to 50 metres. The structure proposed can float and is auto-installable enabling thereby eliminating the use of large crane vessels or, at least, reducing their use for the substation transport and installation, which will lead to a major reduction in costs related to these operations.

The substation proposed is more efficient than conventional substations: thanks to the use of ecological design criteria, modular and compact electrical equipment have been designed to offer a power/weight ratio 15% higher than that of current systems.

A predictive maintenance system and a life cycle analysis tool have also been implemented per component and the substation economic feasibility was also analysed.