Glasgow-based Synaptec will supply its cable fault detection software for the latest phase of the Dogger Bank wind farm.
The company’s distributed electrical sensing (DES) fibre-optic instrumentation platform aims to tackle cable failures, a major source of financial losses and insurance claims for offshore wind projects.
These account for 83% of losses and claims in the sector, and can cost developers tens of millions of pounds each time a cable fails.
The company has developed sensing technology that can detect four out of every five cable faults.
Its technology has previously been deployed on the Hywind Scotland and Hywind Tampen floating offshore wind farms.
SSE and Equinor are developing the 3.6GW Dogger Bank wind farm, the world’s biggest development-stage wind farm, off the coast of Yorkshire in the North Sea.
A fourth phase, Dogger Bank D, has the potential to add up to 2GW of capacity to the site.
With the recent ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds creating a 24.4GW pipeline of floating offshore wind capacity off Scotland’s shores, Synaptec is anticipating a fourfold increase in revenues in the next two to three years, along with doubling its headcount.
Synaptec chief executive Philip Orr said: “Cable failures and unplanned maintenance are bad news for the offshore wind sector and a challenge which can and must be overcome as the UK and other countries around the world embark on their clean energy missions.
“DES will help unlock the full potential of offshore wind around the world, giving operators peace of mind and preventing claims backlogs running into the hundreds of millions of pounds for some individual cases.
“This latest order positions DES as the de-facto standard for electrical monitoring of offshore wind power cables, and we look forward to delivering the next phase of our exciting growth journey.
“As the energy transition delivers major challenges to the power industry, Synaptec stands ready to support developers with the solutions they require to ensure economical and efficient operation.”
Synaptec previously raised £6.5m in funding last year, with participation from Megger Group, Proserv, and Equity Gap.
The company aims to use the funds to support its expansion, including development of new manufacturing facilities in Scotland.
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