Verlume, a UK-headquartered subsea batteries and power management systems specialist, has put its 500 kWh modular subsea energy storage system to the test in Aberdeen ahead of planned deployment in the Dutch North Sea, where it will become the world’s first grid-forming subsea battery co-located with offshore wind.
Verlume reported on 1 October that it had completed hyperbaric testing of its Orah subsea enclosure at JFD’s hyperbaric testing facility in Aberdeen, representing a major qualification milestone ahead of the system’s planned deployment at the OranjeWind offshore wind farm, being developed by RWE and TotalEnergies off the Dutch coast.
The 500 kWh modular subsea energy storage system is designed to provide autonomous grid support for offshore wind farms.
Orah leverages the latest battery chemistry and is controlled by Verlume’s Axonn power management platform. Together, these technologies are said to create a modular energy storage and autonomous grid-support solution designed to help enable more flexible and resilient offshore energy systems.
With its 10-tonne weight, 7.2-metre length, 2.4-metre width, and 2.4-metre height, the system is said to be the largest vessel ever tested at JFD's hyperbaric centre to date.
The testing program saw the enclosure subjected to a controlled pressure profile representative of its intended subsea operating environment. It focused on three critical areas, including pressure and depth qualification, enclosure integrity and functional performance under pressure.
Once the full 85-tonne system is deployed at the OranjeWind offshore wind farm, it will represent the world’s first grid-forming subsea battery co-located with offshore wind.