Wind Energy – Floating Wind
Encomara, a visionary newcomer to the global renewables sector, is poised for rapid growth following the launch of its ground-breaking solutions for floating offshore wind installation.
The Scottish firm’s unique approach and patented turbine installation technology introduces a new era of full life-cycle efficiency, safety, sustainability and reliability to floating offshore wind operations globally, irrespective of water depth.
Its pioneering Strategic Wind InFrasTructure (SWIFT) system integrates new and established technologies in a holistic and life-cycle cost approach for floating wind which significantly reduces the levelized cost of electricity.
Significant R&D investment has resulted in the company’s first patented product, SQUID; a quick connector for power cables, mooring lines and anchor interfaces, which provides a rapid and simplified ‘plug-to-power’ capability. It allows for the pre-installation and pre-commissioning of all marine hardware, reducing cost and risk by enabling rapid deployment of multiple Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) in higher sea states and in extended weather windows.
Additionally, by enabling a viable ‘tow-to-port’ methodology, SQUID delivers similar cost and duration reductions during the operational, re-power and decommissioning phases.
Encomara CEO Raymond Semple said: “By 2050, 15% of all offshore wind energy generated is forecast to come from floating offshore wind turbines, which equates to 15,000 turbines1. We are extremely well positioned to maximise this strong market potential with our agile and dynamic approach to delivering fast-turnaround turbine installation, operations and maintenance scopes, and eventual decommissioning. We’ve taken inspiration from the scale-up success of fixed wind as well as other offshore sectors’ methodologies, culminating in solutions which are safer, greener, faster, cheaper, and higher yielding than the traditional installation methods. “It also aligns with operators’ ESG strategies and the industry’s increasing commitment to sustainability and local stakeholder engagement.”
Encomara was founded by four industry stalwarts, each with more than 30 years of energy sector experience, including in wave, tidal, fixed and floating offshore wind. This includes Ian Cobban, chief operating officer, Malcolm Bowie, chief technology officer, Ian Donald, executive chairman, alongside Semple, the CEO. The team are looking to recruit key onshore personnel and engineering talent in the next six months.
