IN a significant stride towards sustainable energy solutions, UK-based engineering and advisory provider Apollo, in collaboration with Celtic Sea Power and Vekta, has successfully concluded a pivotal pre-FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) study. This groundbreaking research delved into the development of innovative strategies to harness marine-generated power from the Celtic Sea and bring it into Pembroke, unveiling a coordinated approach that promises to revolutionise the renewable energy landscape.
As part of this collaboration, Apollo and its partners engineered two commercial-scale substations, strategically located within two of the three Primary Development Areas (PDAs) identified by The Crown Estate. Additionally, a smaller Multi-connection Offshore Substation (MOS) is set to be established within the Pembrokeshire Demonstration Zone (PDZ). This visionary project, partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund, not only marks a significant achievement in sustainable energy but also aims to stimulate further investments in the region’s floating offshore wind (FLOW) market.
Jonathan White, Regional Director of Apollo, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “We enjoyed working with Celtic Sea Power and our partners at Vekta to realise this exciting project in order to create a tangible offshore asset that has considerable advantages for the region.”
He emphasised the potential for considerable savings in investment capital and significant socio-environmental benefits onshore through a streamlined, coordinated approach.
The pre-FEED contract awarded to Apollo builds on their previous successful collaboration with Celtic Sea Power during the Concept phase. The teams worked together to define the offshore design envelope and onshore connections of the asset. This continued partnership holds the promise of providing an offshore coordinated electrical link for FLOW development in the Celtic Sea, thereby reducing the overall development costs for active developers in the region.
Nigel Jones, Technical Manager at Celtic Sea Power, highlighted the significance of the project outcomes, stating, “The project outputs provide robust technical solutions for coordinating offshore renewable energy projects, both at a test and demonstration level as well as the larger commercial scale FLOW projects in the Celtic Sea.”
Jones highlighted the financial benefits and reduced environmental and social impacts associated with minimising landfall points and cable corridors.
The timing of this achievement aligns with The Crown Estate’s leasing round, aiming to release 4.5GW of FLOW in the Celtic Sea by the end of the year, with ambitions to realise an additional 20GW in the future.
With Apollo and Vekta’s expertise, the pre-FEED outputs offer a promising pathway towards a more sustainable, coordinated future for renewable energy projects. This collaborative effort signifies a step closer to unlocking the vast marine-generated power potential of the Celtic Sea, paving the way for a greener and more energy-efficient tomorrow. For more information about Apollo’s involvement in the Celtic Sea Power project and their contributions to sustainable energy solutions, please visit Apollo’s Official Website.
