Blue X Wave energy converter

Industry context

The power demand of the offshore energy sector is approximately 24 terawatt hours annually, resulting in 74 million tonnes of CO2e per annum.​

Connecting onshore power to remote offshore locations poses significant investment and technical challenges, especially for isolated fixed, floating and subsea infrastructure. In addition to large floating wind farms, there is a need for alternative, cost-effective and renewable power sources to fully electrify the North Sea.

Project overview

The Mocean project aimed to assess the feasibility of using renewable energy sources to power subsea equipment. The nine-month RSP trial, which concluded in 2024, integrated Mocean’s Blue X wave turbine with Aberdeen-based Verlume’s Halo underwater battery. ​

​The Blue X turbine has a hinged raft design intended to provide reliable and affordable renewable energy.

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The trial effectively demonstrated the feasibility of using wave power to operate subsea equipment with 100% renewable energy. It also showcased the integration of multiple technologies into a cohesive system solution. ​

​Blue X provided superior performance, achieving up to a 300% improvement in efficiency compared to traditional hinged rafts. If widely deployed, this technology has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 450,000 tonnes of CO2e annually. 

Outcome

Successfully demonstrated that subsea production and operations can be supported using a local renewable energy supply ​

Reduces costs, response times and emissions ​

Potential to save up to £240M annually or outcome (based on 3x failures of umbilicals) ​

Successfully demonstrated that subsea production and operations can be supported using a local renewable energy supply ​

Reduces costs, response times and emissions ​

Potential to save up to £240M annually or outcome (based on 3x failures of umbilicals) ​