Powering the next generation of offshore wind farms

A £10m+ project is currently being delivered to an esteemed client within the Renewables Energy sector. The aim of this project is to contribute significantly to France’s target of having 24 offshore wind farms.

This wind farm is located off the coast of Normandy, it will have a capacity of 450MW, enough to power approximately 630,000 households. The electrically powered subsea drilling superstructure is capable of drilling the largest subsea holes worldwide.

Project results

Containerised operator control room solution for electrically powered subsea drilling superstructure
Successful delivery of the drive system, umbrella system and 440V & 660V switchboard offshore power vans housed in 4 e-houses
Precise control of on-board equipment motors
Design and delivery of the entire mechanical drivetrain componentry
Designed for ergonomic comfort & focus during remote operation
Real-time trending, analytics and reporting available

Our Drive solution

Our solution powers and controls a market-leading electrically powered subsea drilling superstructure with our solution neatly containerised and housed on the back deck of the vessel shown here.

Our innovative package consists of a 1.8MW liquid cooled drives suite, complete with motion controller, and provides an end-to-end mechatronic implementation. We were also responsible for designing and delivering the entire mechanical drivetrain componentry including pinion, planetary gearbox and dog clutch.

The drive expertise iconsys has brought to bear, informed by our many years of experience, proved invaluable to meeting requirements in this application. Traditionally, monopile drilling rigs are run through hydraulic power, but given the sizing of the components, an electrical solution was required. This “groundbreaking” venture creates more opportunity for future wind farm prospects.

“In August 2024, after successfully developing, building, installing and onshore/offshore commissioning the drives suite and umbrella system, we achieved a groundbreaking feat by successfully completing our first test drill hole. The hole, plunging 3 meters deep and spanning approximately 8 meters in diameter, has set a new world record for the largest man-made hole ever drilled into the seabed.”

“This is not just an achievement; it’s a testament to our hard work and innovation.”

“As anticipated, this project and the commissioning process have been both complex and demanding and I take huge pride in seeing the efforts that our experienced & dedicated team have given to ensure a successful project phase completion.”

Edwin Derry, Director of Engineering & Innovation, iconsys

It’s more than just a drive system …

In addition to the drive system, we have worked tirelessly alongside our customer to bring to life the umbrella system.

It’s motion controller acts as the main safety program for the broader control system, as well as integrating 9 subsystems from multiple 3rd party suppliers across the drilling rig, to provide common control, monitoring and sequential operation via SCADA interface.

Real-time trending, analytics and reporting is achieved with an ibaHD-Server plantwide historian.

Containerised Power & Control

More innovation came with how we delivered the drive system and umbrella system … containerised solutions that could be housed on the drilling vessel were key for this project.

The drive system and umbrella system are housed in 2 x 40 ft offshore containers respectively, with the latter boasting a custom-made ergonomic control room for the drilling operators.

Additionally, 2 x 20ft 440V and 660V switchboard containers are supplied to provide project-wide power distribution.

Let’s get technical

Our innovative package consists of:

Drive system – 1.8MW liquid cooled ABB ACS880 drives suite, complete with a Siemens S7-1517TF motion controller, providing an end-to-end electromechanical implementation.
Mechanical – we were also responsible for designing and delivering the entire mechanical drivetrain componentry including pinion, planetary gearbox and dog clutch.
Umbrella system – a Siemens S7-1517F controller acts as the main safety program (SRP/CS) for the broader control system, as well as integrating 9 subsystems from multiple 3rd party suppliers across the drilling rig, to provide common control, monitoring and sequential operation via SCADA interface.
Real-time trending, analytics and reporting is achieved with an ibaHD-Server plantwide historian.
Containerised housing – the drive system and umbrella system are housed in 2 x 40 ft offshore e-houses, with one boasting a custom-made ergonomic control room for the drilling operators. Additionally, 2 x 20ft 440V and 660V switchboard offshore power vans are supplied to provide project-wide power distribution.

Each element of the project has been designed to enhance the functionality and efficiency of the customer’s overall system. Our commitment to delivering advanced technology tailored to the specific needs of the customer’s superstructure is evident in every aspect of this solution.