Shell has joined the Renewables for Subsea Power (RSP) project, powering subsea equipment using wave power and subsea energy storage.
The collaborative project has already been operational for almost a year and is located 5km off the coast of the Orkney mainland in Scottish waters. Shell’s investment puts it in strong company, alongside project leads Mocean Energy and Verlume as well as industry giants Baker Hughes, Harbour Energy, the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC), PTTEP, Serica Energy, TotalEnergies and Transmark Subsea.
Edinburgh-based company Mocean Energy built the Blue X wave energy converter, which powers subsea equipment in the area. Blue X is connected to an underwater battery storage system named Halo, developed by Aberdeen company Verlume. Before the 2022 deployment of the system, the technology went through several rigorous development and testing phases, with £2m ($2.515m) of investment made so far by the consortium.
In a press release, Graeme Rogerson, head of net zero technology at the NZTC, said: “It is fantastic to see the Renewables for Subsea Power project go from strength to strength, having supported Mocean Energy since 2019.
“The Blue X wave energy converter and Halo underwater battery storage system have demonstrated their effectiveness in delivering low-carbon power and communication to offshore subsea infrastructure. Shell’s investment and the opportunity to continue to test in a real-world environment will help to further progress the technologies.”
Mocean Energy’s commercial director Ian Crossland also expressed enthusiasm for Shell’s investment, noting that it “underscores the international interest in our pan-industry project”.
Andy Martin, chief commercial officer at Verlume, added: “With the Renewables for Subsea Power project being operational now for ten months, I am proud of what has been achieved both technically and commercially to date, alongside the calibre of the industry partners that are involved.
“It is great that Shell is now joining the project, a company that we have been working with for some time. I am looking forward to continuing our close working relationship.”
