TotalEnergies has recently become a key participant in the Renewables for Subsea Power (RSP) collaborative project, contributing its expertise to power subsea equipment with wave energy off the east coast of Orkney, Scotland. The £2 million demonstrator initiative, situated 5km east of the Orkney Mainland, integrates the Blue X wave energy converter from Mocean Energy with the Halo underwater battery storage system developed by Verlume.
This operational scheme seeks to highlight the potential of combining green technologies to deliver dependable low-carbon power and communications to subsea equipment. The project aims to offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional umbilical cables, known for their carbon intensity and lengthy procurement and installation lead times.
Supported by its Ocean Energy R&D team based in Pau, France, TotalEnergies will collaborate with project leads Mocean Energy and Verlume, as well as industry players such as Baker Hughes, Serica Energy, Harbour Energy, Transmark Subsea, PTTEP, and the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC).
Dave MacKinnon, TotalEnergies Technology, Data & Innovation Manager, expressed the company's commitment to exploring new ideas and technologies that support the decarbonization of their oil and gas production business. MacKinnon stated, “Our participation in RSP demonstrates how important it is to us to pursue new ideas and technology that will support the decarbonisation of our oil and gas production business, both here in the UK and across the world.”
The collaboration will provide TotalEnergies with access to comprehensive data and results from the extended test program, allowing the company to contribute to test plans and receive a feasibility assessment of RSP technology. Mocean Energy's Commercial Director, Ian Crossland, emphasized the significance of TotalEnergies' involvement, citing their global presence and experience in offshore operations.
Verlume's Chief Commercial Officer, Andy Martin, highlighted the value of RSP in capturing industry-leading project data. Martin explained, “RSP is capturing industry-leading project data as we demonstrate how Verlume's Halo subsea battery storage can reliably power subsea equipment through being recharged by a wave energy device. It is fantastic that TotalEnergies recognizes the value of this data and has come on board within RSP to share insights such as further use cases for this technology system.”
Mhairi Begg, NZTC Technology Manager, expressed delight at TotalEnergies joining the RSP project, emphasizing the international potential of the technology. Begg stated, “The consortium is a prime example of how global collaboration can advance green technologies and foster technology deployment.”
This collaboration underscores the international interest in the combined technologies and marks a significant step forward in the success of the RSP project, showcasing the potential for sustainable solutions in the offshore energy sector.
