Mocean Energy and Aker Solutions have forged a partnership aimed at potentially harnessing wave energy to power oil and gas fields in the UK. This groundbreaking collaboration seeks to replace the conventional utilization of high-cost subsea umbilical cables, potentially revolutionizing small North Sea tiebacks and offering a cost-effective means of extending the lifespan of the UK's aging production hubs in the North Sea.

The partnership envisions the deployment of wave energy technology to facilitate the economic extraction of resources from declining brownfields, reducing the dependency on new oil and gas development. Morten Pederson, Senior Vice President of Systems and Products at Aker Solutions, emphasized the far-reaching potential of this innovation, stating that if the pilot project proves feasible, it could substantially benefit mature regions such as the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) and the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). This technology aligns with the industry's transition towards net-zero emissions by enhancing energy efficiency.

Pederson further highlighted the cost-effectiveness of this solution compared to traditional subsea umbilical cables. The technology is poised to have a lower lifetime cost and could offer global benefits to the industry.

Headquartered in Edinburgh, Mocean Energy boasts the Blue X demonstrator project stationed off Orkney. The two companies will collaborate on feasibility assessments, front-end engineering, and design studies to optimize wave-powered tiebacks. This holistic approach will seek the most economically and environmentally efficient solutions, especially when combined with energy storage technology.

Mocean Energy is already part of the Renewables for Subsea Power initiative, an industry collaborative effort that is currently demonstrating the feasibility of powering subsea equipment using wave power and intelligent subsea energy storage. The £2 million initiative, operational in Orkney, has successfully linked Mocean Energy's Blue X wave energy converter with a Halo underwater battery developed by Verlume, experts in Aberdeen's intelligent energy management sector.

Cameron McNatt, Managing Director of Mocean Energy, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting Aker Solutions' industry leadership in subsea technology and decarbonization. McNatt emphasized that this collaboration will provide customers with a comprehensive and reliable solution for their power and communication requirements, contributing to low-carbon practices.

The partners aim to develop at least one concept study leading to a pilot project at sea, facilitated through various avenues, including multi-customer joint industry projects. Aker Solutions will supply the complete ocean-power system, handling subsea system integration, system engineering support, and subsea equipment plans. Mocean Energy will contribute the wave energy technology, wave-energy specific project engineering, and energy analysis for remote power delivery.