Start-up FLASC BV has established a collaboration agreement with Subsea 7 for the former’s Hydro-Pneumatic Energy Storage (HPES) concept
FLASC’s patented HPES concept combines pressurised seawater with compressed air to create an efficient, large-scale energy storage device that can be applied across a wide range of offshore applications.
The technology leverages existing infrastructure and supply chains, along with the marine environment itself as a natural heat sink, resulting in what FLASC describes as a “safe, reliable and cost-effective solution.”
The first working prototype was successfully tested in 2018 and DNV GL granted it a statement of feasibility based on a technical and commercial assessment.
The two companies plan to work together towards commercialising HPES. They plan to develop solutions based on FLASC’s core technology, targeting use cases from conventional grid-connected windfarm applications to decarbonisation initiatives in the offshore oil and gas sector. The parties will also jointly pursue early-stage implementations of these solutions in Subsea 7’s near-term projects.
FLASC chief executive and co-founder Daniel Buhagiar said, “We believe that sustainable co-located energy storage will be crucial to unlocking the full potential of offshore renewables.
“We have seen growing interest for innovations that address the unique challenges of the offshore environment. This collaboration with Subsea 7 is a major milestone in the process of taking our innovative energy storage solution from a proven concept to a versatile commercial product.
“Through this collaboration, we look forward to accelerating our path to market, in line with the growing demands of an offshore sector in the midst of an accelerating green transition.”
Subsea 7 vice president strategy and technology Thomas Sunde said, “We believe that cost-effective and reliable industrial-scale energy storage solutions are essential to unlock the promise of offshore renewables and accelerate the energy transition.
“The HPES is an innovative technology with significant potential, offering a competitive and more sustainable alternative to Li-ion batteries.
“Collaboration with FLASC will allow us to leverage Subsea 7’s technical expertise in the development of offshore subsea solutions to accelerate the deployment of utility-scale, low-maintenance, HPES storage solutions.
“Subsea 7 is strongly committed to a low carbon future and long-term value creation in the energy sector, leveraging our expertise and our experience in the subsea and renewables industries to provide innovative and cost-effective solutions to our clients as they continue on their energy transition journey.”
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