OceanREADI CCS (Ocean Renewable Energy Advancement for Deployment and Integration in CCS)

Mocean Energy is a leading developer of technology that uses ocean waves, solar, and battery storage, to generate renewable electricity to power offshore equipment. Its ocean energy converter (OEC), called Blue Star, is a floating hinged raft optimised to provide continuous power to subsea equipment, such as that used in CCS developments. Power is exported subsea from the OEC via a dynamic cable, and users can remotely communicate and operate with the OEC from shore. An OEC has never been used in a commercial CCS application, making this a highly innovative solution.

Mocean has successfully carried out two offshore testing campaigns, most recently powering a subsea microgrid in the Renewables for Subsea Power project. This was a world's first demonstration involving the Net Zero Technology Centre, several operators (including two supermajors), an integrator, and complementary technologies. It demonstrated an integrated system that can be applied in CCS to reduce costs and carbon emissions, by displacing long expensive static cables required to bring electricity to distant offshore locations.

The OceanREADI CCS project aims to catalyse existing technical learnings and insights from engagement with CCS stakeholders and prospective customers, to advance technical and market readiness. During the project, Mocean will address technical focus areas that will advance performance, maturity and risk, in accordance with customer needs emerging from technology qualification.

This will be done via design, build, and test of a back-to-back (B2B) test rig, where key sub-systems can be tested and validated. The project will target performance testing, accelerated lifetime testing, and extreme heat testing -- addressing functionality and reliability. Tested subsystems include the power-take-off (PTO) system (C-GEN generator, power electronics), drivetrain (gearbox, clutch, oil-filtering, bearings, seals), energy management system (control, electricals, batteries), and...