The agreement was officially signed at Subsea Micropiles’ Montrose Facility on September 28 during a visit by the First Minister, John Swinney, as Scotland continues to advance the development of its floating offshore wind industry.
The collaboration will focus on site investigations, anchor design, including advanced cyclical loading analysis and offshore installation, bringing together Subsea Micropiles’ service capabilities as a full field end-to-end solution.
Derek Robertson, CEO of Subsea Micropiles commented, “Floating offshore wind needs to find ways to reduce cost and better manage risk, and that requires us to look at the full picture. Delivering an optimized anchor solution requires that we understand the seabed in greater detail and have a scalable industrial solution to support installation.
“Scotland has an incredibly strong offshore and subsea supply chain, and companies like Subsea Micropiles have an important role to play in enabling that supply chain to support the next generation of offshore wind projects. For us, that means developing the technology and engineering capability here in Scotland that can help projects reduce cost and risk, while creating expertise that can ultimately be deployed internationally.”
Richard Copeland, Global Head of Floating Wind for Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP) and the Project CEO for the Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm in the UK said, “Floating offshore wind represents a significant opportunity for Scotland and the UK, but realizing that potential will depend on projects and the supply chain working together to develop solutions that can be delivered efficiently and at scale.
“That’s why we’re really pleased to sign this agreement with Subsea Micropiles, an innovative Scottish company developing technology that could help address some of the key challenges facing floating wind. We want the benefits of floating wind projects like Pentland to extend well beyond the project itself – supporting Scottish businesses, strengthening domestic capability and creating expertise that can serve a growing global industry.”
Site investigation will also form a key part of the collaboration. Subsea Micropiles will apply its zonal survey approach to build a more complete understanding of ground conditions and support better-informed anchor design.
Its Acoustic Zoom®️ technology provides high-resolution volumetric imaging of the subsurface, helping bridge the gap between conventional geophysical surveys and point-specific geotechnical investigation.
The agreement also provides a framework to explore potential opportunities for Subsea Micropiles’ capabilities across COP’s wider international portfolio.
