Floating wind installation reimagined
Encomara’s Squid connection system has received product design assessment from ABS, advancing technology designed to simplify floating wind installation operations.
The Aberdeen-based subsea engineering specialist said the technology could significantly reduce installation time and costs for floating offshore wind projects by enabling pre-installed moorings and electrical connections through a single subsea unit.
“The Squid system allows pre-installation of moorings and cables followed by rapid hook up of the FOWT , thus reducing risk and potentially doubling the number of turbines that can be installed in a typical season, which tackles a key constraint in GW scale floating wind farm completion,” said Ian Donald, managing director, Encomara.
“Moving into live testing is the next significant step. We developed this technology in Scotland, and we are building and qualifying it in Scotland. The ambition is for it to be operating in floating wind projects across the world.”
Addressing constraints
The approval follows approval in principle granted by ABS in November 2025, with onshore demonstrations scheduled for July and inshore testing planned for August in Scotland.
Designed for the fast-growing floating wind market, Squid aims to address installation constraints that continue to challenge large-scale offshore wind deployment. Conventional installation methods typically require multiple vessels and sequential offshore operations within limited weather windows.
Encomara’s patented system instead allows subsea infrastructure to be installed in advance, enabling what the company described as a “plug & play” connection process for floating offshore wind turbines.
According to modelling studies supported by Scottish Enterprise and developers, the technology could halve installation time compared with traditional methods. Encomara said the system could also improve vessel utilisation, increase available installation windows and support tow-to-port maintenance strategies, potentially saving developers GB£1 billion per gigawattonstraints
ABS carried out a technical review of the system against class and industry requirements for floating offshore wind applications as part of the certification process.
Encomara, acquired by Aurora Energy Services in 2025, plans further live demonstrations as it progresses towards commercial deployment in global marine renewables projects.
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