A new floating offshore wind technology is preparing to undergo inshore trials at the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility, with its development potentially supporting around 130 jobs in Scotland by 2030.

Aberdeen based floating wind and subsea engineering specialist Encomara is preparing to trial its first Squid connection system at Ardersier this month, marking a major step towards commercial deployment after more than five years of development.

The 40 tonne system has been transported from Huntly through Keith and Buckie before being transferred by vessel around the headland and offloaded at Ardersier, 14 miles east of Inverness on the Moray Firth.

Squid has been designed to support mooring lines, power cables and subsea connectors away from the seabed, allowing them to be installed before floating offshore wind turbines arrive and enabling faster connection and disconnection.

Encomara says the technology can reduce risks during offshore construction while simplifying operations when turbines need to be towed back to port.

The company, which is part of Aurora Energy Services, expects demand to increase as the UK’s floating offshore wind industry grows, with that expansion potentially creating around 130 project delivery and manufacturing jobs at Aurora facilities in Huntly and Inverness by 2030.

Ian Donald, Managing Director of Encomara, said:

“We received Product Design Assessment accreditation from the American Bureau of Shipping in June, and on completion of the trials at Ardersier this month will be certified to TRL8, proving that we are ready to start manufacturing to scale.

“No other solution addresses the developers’ problem the way our plug-and-play technology does.

“Latest modelling points to a saving of up to 15% of LCOE [Levelised Cost of Energy], driven by pre-installed mooring and cables and then faster connection when the FOWT arrives infield, reduced vessel costs and reduced lost production time.

“As floating wind around the world moves from pilot projects into full construction, we anticipate creating around 130 positions in Scotland over the next few years to support the number of Squids being manufactured to meet that demand.”

The trials will also mark the first floating offshore project of its type to be launched at the newly developed Ardersier Energy Transition Facility.

Mark Gillespie, Chief Commercial Officer at Haventus, which owns and operates the port, said:

“We welcome Encomara to Ardersier Port as it takes the next step in the development of its Squid technology.

“Supporting this programme provides an excellent demonstration of how the port can provide the space, access and infrastructure needed to advance new offshore energy technologies.

“With extensive deep-water access and significant development space, our ambition is to build a hub where offshore energy businesses can establish a presence, collaborate and grow.

“Encomara’s work at Ardersier is a strong example of that ambition becoming reality.”

Successful completion of the trials will take a technology developed in Scotland another step towards commercial scale, while providing an early demonstration of the role Ardersier could play as floating offshore wind development gathers pace.