Periodic Reporting for period 4 - COOLWIND (Subsea Cooler for Offshore Wind HVDC transformer platforms)
Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2023-09-30
Future Technology AS has developed a passive subsea cooler technology, FSCC®, that stands at the forefront of making offshore wind production cheaper and more sustainable. The dominant offshore cooling solutions in use today are topside, open-loop seawater systems and air cooling. They face challenges related to size/weight, negative environmental impact, high energy consumption, and demanding maintenance requirements, all adding costs to the offshore wind industry which today is struggling with profitability. The FSCC® cooler is an innovative solution that offers a closed-loop, project-tailored subsea cooling system. It significantly reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions, as well as operating and maintenance costs and CAPEX. It accomplishes all of this while leaving no negative impact on the delicate marine environment.
This technology not only fulfils an industry-wide demand for environmentally friendly and cost-effective cooling technologies, but also aligns perfectly with increasingly stringent environmental regulations. On a broader societal scale, the FSCC® technology contributes to enhanced energy efficiency, a marked reduction in CO2 emissions, and the safeguarding of marine ecosystems.
While originally developed for the offshore wind market, the advantages of FSCC® compared to conventional cooling solutions will be even far greater for offshore hydrogen production. Here cooling demands are significantly higher and traditional cooling solutions will probably not be adequate at all, but FSCC® will be able to meet the requirements.
The primary objective of our COOLWIND project was to further develop and bring to market the FSCC® subsea cooler. Leading players in the offshore hydrogen and wind energy sectors had expressed keen interest in our technology, drawn by its compelling environmental and operational advantages, as well as its ability to meet the demands of evolving new environmental regulations.
Future Technology’s ambition is to replace existing cooling technologies in upcoming offshore wind HVDC / HYDROGEN projects with FSCC®, setting a new industry standard and marking a significant step towards a greener and more sustainable future for offshoreenergy projects.
This technology not only fulfils an industry-wide demand for environmentally friendly and cost-effective cooling technologies, but also aligns perfectly with increasingly stringent environmental regulations. On a broader societal scale, the FSCC® technology contributes to enhanced energy efficiency, a marked reduction in CO2 emissions, and the safeguarding of marine ecosystems.
While originally developed for the offshore wind market, the advantages of FSCC® compared to conventional cooling solutions will be even far greater for offshore hydrogen production. Here cooling demands are significantly higher and traditional cooling solutions will probably not be adequate at all, but FSCC® will be able to meet the requirements.
The primary objective of our COOLWIND project was to further develop and bring to market the FSCC® subsea cooler. Leading players in the offshore hydrogen and wind energy sectors had expressed keen interest in our technology, drawn by its compelling environmental and operational advantages, as well as its ability to meet the demands of evolving new environmental regulations.
Future Technology’s ambition is to replace existing cooling technologies in upcoming offshore wind HVDC / HYDROGEN projects with FSCC®, setting a new industry standard and marking a significant step towards a greener and more sustainable future for offshoreenergy projects.
The COOLWIND project has developed the FSCC® cooler to new level of maturity. This advancement has been achieved through a comprehensive range of activities, including rigorous flow analysis and CFD simulations, stringent material technical assessments, robust mechanical design and strength calculations, and meticulous installation analyses. In the pursuit of cost-effectiveness, the cooler's design has undergone optimization and has been completed with a set of design documents as well as a 3D model.
Extensive case studies and feasibility studies have been undertaken, leading to the refinement of large-size FSCC® cooler module design, specifically tailored for full-scale cooling applications. A diversified portfolio of system designs has been developed, encompassing various cooler sizes, placements, and installation scenarios. The project has also rigorously evaluated the improved availability and uptime of a full-scale platform cooling system incorporating FSCC® coolers.
Furthermore, the COOLWIND project has succeeded with a complete HVDC/HYDROGEN cooling system design, seamlessly integrating subsea coolers with corresponding platform topside equipment. This has been substantiated with the establishment of comprehensive system, piping and instrumentation diagram, sensors and control requirements for the topside system.
Recognizing the potential challenge of marine biofouling impacting the efficiency of subsea coolers in shallow waters, studies and testing have been undertaken to validate the anti-fouling properties of the chosen materials and design solutions. This ensures the sustained optimal performance of the FSCC® cooler in demanding marine environments.
Our proprietary engineering tool, SIMCOOL, is key in the design of project specific FSCC® coolers. It is a state-of-the art software, factoring in process data, location specifics (such as e.g. seawater temperatures over the year), and other variables. This allows for the quick, precise and tailored design of a project cooler that align with project specifications, ensuring optimal performance.
SIMCOOL was verified prior to the COOLWIND project, by building a 6 tonnes cooler and testing it offshore, where test-results were within +/- 5% of the SIMCOOL projections. As part of the COOLWIND project, SIMCOOL has been further developed to include ocean flow data, thereby increasing the design accuracy.
The COOLWIND project has also developed strong connections with key players and stakeholders in the offshore wind and hydrogen markets. These relationships have been cultivated through ongoing and targeted marketing and dissemination efforts aimed at showcasing the technology's feasibility and the multiple benefits it brings to new offshore hydrogen and HVDC projects. This sustained engagement has generated increasing interest and support from industry leaders. One of Europe's major offshore wind developers placed an order for a single system, but due to schedule impacts of non-FSCC® related problems, the order was unfortunately cancelled.
Extensive case studies and feasibility studies have been undertaken, leading to the refinement of large-size FSCC® cooler module design, specifically tailored for full-scale cooling applications. A diversified portfolio of system designs has been developed, encompassing various cooler sizes, placements, and installation scenarios. The project has also rigorously evaluated the improved availability and uptime of a full-scale platform cooling system incorporating FSCC® coolers.
Furthermore, the COOLWIND project has succeeded with a complete HVDC/HYDROGEN cooling system design, seamlessly integrating subsea coolers with corresponding platform topside equipment. This has been substantiated with the establishment of comprehensive system, piping and instrumentation diagram, sensors and control requirements for the topside system.
Recognizing the potential challenge of marine biofouling impacting the efficiency of subsea coolers in shallow waters, studies and testing have been undertaken to validate the anti-fouling properties of the chosen materials and design solutions. This ensures the sustained optimal performance of the FSCC® cooler in demanding marine environments.
Our proprietary engineering tool, SIMCOOL, is key in the design of project specific FSCC® coolers. It is a state-of-the art software, factoring in process data, location specifics (such as e.g. seawater temperatures over the year), and other variables. This allows for the quick, precise and tailored design of a project cooler that align with project specifications, ensuring optimal performance.
SIMCOOL was verified prior to the COOLWIND project, by building a 6 tonnes cooler and testing it offshore, where test-results were within +/- 5% of the SIMCOOL projections. As part of the COOLWIND project, SIMCOOL has been further developed to include ocean flow data, thereby increasing the design accuracy.
The COOLWIND project has also developed strong connections with key players and stakeholders in the offshore wind and hydrogen markets. These relationships have been cultivated through ongoing and targeted marketing and dissemination efforts aimed at showcasing the technology's feasibility and the multiple benefits it brings to new offshore hydrogen and HVDC projects. This sustained engagement has generated increasing interest and support from industry leaders. One of Europe's major offshore wind developers placed an order for a single system, but due to schedule impacts of non-FSCC® related problems, the order was unfortunately cancelled.
Ever-increasing focus on environmental impact and emerging new and stricter environmental regulations impact the choice of cooling technology for future HVDC and hydrogen-platforms with a change from open loop to closed loop cooling systems. This will make the FSCC® technology even more relevant for new projects.
The FSCC® passive subsea cooler represents a protected/patented technology not previously used in offshore hydrogen / wind projects. The COOLWIND project has enabled verification of the technology to a Technology Readiness Level of the product to TRL8.
Implementation of the FSCC® technology will give the offshore industry a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective cooling technology meeting stricter environmental regulations. On a societal level the technology contributes to increased energy effectiveness, reduced C02- emissions and preservation of marine life.
We extend our gratitude to the European Commission for their strong and valuable support during this project. The COOLWIND project's adaptability, technological progress, and market-driven approach align with the European Union's clean energy objectives.
The FSCC® passive subsea cooler represents a protected/patented technology not previously used in offshore hydrogen / wind projects. The COOLWIND project has enabled verification of the technology to a Technology Readiness Level of the product to TRL8.
Implementation of the FSCC® technology will give the offshore industry a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective cooling technology meeting stricter environmental regulations. On a societal level the technology contributes to increased energy effectiveness, reduced C02- emissions and preservation of marine life.
We extend our gratitude to the European Commission for their strong and valuable support during this project. The COOLWIND project's adaptability, technological progress, and market-driven approach align with the European Union's clean energy objectives.