Encomara, a newcomer to the renewables industry which is based out of Aberdeen, is launching a new tech solution which it says will transform the installation and operation of floating offshore wind farms. 

Its patented turbine installation technology will increase the life-cycle efficiency, safety, sustainability, and reliability of floating offshore wind operations, according to the company. 

The tech is called SQUID, and is the inaugural product of Encomara. The tool serves as a quick connector for cables, mooring lines, and anchor interfaces, allowing for ‘plug-to-power capabilities.

This pre-installation and pre-commissioning of marine hardware, according to Encomara, will reduce both the cost and risk associated with installing the offshore turbines.

The tool’s creation also claims to have solved the ‘tow-to-port’ challenge, which is a method of transporting large and heavy structures of equipment from a construction site to a designated port facility. Encomara says its solution will deliver similar cost and time reductions during the operational and decommissioning phases of a project. 

Since the tool can be deployed in a wide range of sea states, this can enable a longer weather window for operations, reducing standby vessel support and by extension, and lowering the carbon footprint of offshore wind projects. 

Encomara was founded in 2022 by four industry veterans, each with more than 30 years of experience in the energy sector. The team includes chief operating officer Ian Cobban, chief technology officer Malcolm Bowie, executive chairman Ian Donald, and CEO Raymond Semple.

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“By 2050, 15% of all offshore wind energy generated is forecast to come from floating offshore wind turbines, which equates to 15,000 turbines,” said Semple, as reported by Insider. 

“We are extremely well positioned to maximize this strong market potential with our agile and dynamic approach to delivering fast-turnaround turbine installation, operations, and maintenance scopes, and eventual decommissioning.”

Encomara has indicated that it is focusing on expanding its team to recruit onshore personnel and engineers over the next six months to advance its technologies. 

The startup is coming onto the scene during a time where 50% of Scotland’s total energy demand is to be supplied by renewable sources by 2030, along with the target of a 75% emissions reduction by the same year, the toughest statutory emissions target in the world, according to Scottish Development International.