Ideol and Atlantique Offshore Energy launch the commercialization of the world’s first floating electrical offshore substation

In cooperation with ABB and after nearly 2 years of extensive and thorough collaborative efforts, Ideol and AOE have unveiled their universal floating offshore substation for both bottom-fixed and floating offshore wind farms starting at depths of 40 meters.   

Based on Ideol’s patented and shallow-draft Damping Pool® concept and on AOE’s certified electrical offshore substation concept SeeOs, this universal floating offshore substation has been engineered to operate in the world most extreme environments and to offer maximum modularity. With the installation of the topside onto the floater at quayside, with the testing and pre-commissioning at quayside as well as an installation without heavy-lift offshore operations, this floating electrical offshore substation generates significant cost reductions. Finally and thanks to a time-tested and readily available supply chain, the solution can easily be serial produced while creating local jobs.   

This universal and modular floating substation is expected to have a significant impact on the market of offshore substations and is market-ready for upcoming floating commercial tenders, in France and across the world. The market potential is huge, as 115 GW of new offshore capacity is expected to be installed around the globe by 2030.  Bruno Geschier, Ideol’s Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, has declared: "We were happy to welcome the most influential players of the offshore wind industry in Paris today; their enthusiasm for our solution confirms the huge potential of this new product. Ideol, with its patented floating technology and unique in-house expertise, is excited and proud to once again collaborate with leading firms such as AOE and ABB and to contribute to the acceleration of commercial-scale floating offshore wind."

Lionel Jossé, AOE’s Head of Sales & Marketing, has declared: "This project reflects our capacity to capitalize on the lessons learned we have from the Electrical Offshore Substations we successfully delivered, so as to innovate and to implement ready-to-market solutions. The purpose of this workshop was to demonstrate to the different stakeholders of our industry the level of maturity and the relevance of this solution to strengthen the development of the floating offshore wind at a commercial scale".