Key Takeaways
- Encomara’s Squid system has received a Preliminary Design Assessment (PDA) from ABS, following an Approval in Principle (AIP) granted seven months earlier.
- Squid integrates pre‑installed mooring lines and electrical connections into a single subsea unit, enabling a “plug‑and‑play” approach for floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs).
- Modeling studies indicate the technology can halve installation time versus conventional methods, potentially saving developers up to £1 billion per gigawatt of capacity.
- The PDA confirms Squid meets class and industry requirements for floating offshore wind applications and moves the technology closer to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessment and commercial deployment.
- Onshore demonstrations are scheduled for July at AES’ Huntly facility, with inshore wet testing and customer demonstrations planned for August at Ardersier.
- Encomara was founded in 2023 by four veteran industry experts, including patent holder Malcolm Bowie, and was acquired by AES in 2025.
- Leadership emphasizes that Squid reduces installation risk, could double the number of turbines installed per season, and leverages North Sea marine‑engineering expertise to address a key bottleneck in gigawatt‑scale floating wind farm build‑out.
- ABS highlights the value of adapting proven offshore‑oil‑and‑gas solutions to the unique risk profile of offshore wind.
- Squid is backed by Scottish Enterprise and the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, with patents secured across Europe, Asia, and Australia.
- AES’ Huntly site is earmarked for high‑volume manufacturing as the technology scales toward global commercial use.
Overview of Certification Milestone
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has awarded a Preliminary Design Assessment (PDA) to Encomara’s Squid floating‑wind connection system. This milestone follows an Approval in Principle (AIP) granted in November of the previous year, marking Squid’s progression through the formal qualification pathway. The PDA signifies that ABS has conducted a detailed review of the design against applicable class rules and industry standards for floating offshore wind applications. Achieving the PDA is a critical step toward attaining higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) and ultimately securing commercial certification for deployment in offshore wind farms worldwide.
Innovative Subsea Integration
Squid’s core innovation lies in its ability to combine pre‑installed mooring lines and electrical connectors into a single, compact subsea unit. By consolidating these traditionally separate elements, the system eliminates the need for multiple vessels and sequential offshore operations. Instead, the mooring and cabling infrastructure can be laid and secured in advance, allowing the floating wind turbine to be simply “plugged in” during the final installation phase. This integrated approach reduces handling complexity, minimizes offshore work, and enhances overall safety by limiting personnel exposure to harsh marine environments.
Contrast with Conventional Installation Methods
Traditional floating offshore wind installation typically involves a series of discrete steps: deploying mooring lines, laying export cables, positioning the turbine, and then making mechanical and electrical connections—all often requiring different specialized vessels and weather‑dependent windows. Each stage introduces scheduling risk and potential delays when adverse sea conditions arise. Squid’s pre‑installed, unified unit collapses these stages into a single operation, enabling the turbine to be hooked up rapidly once it reaches the site, thereby streamlining the entire installation sequence.
Operational and Economic Benefits
Modeling studies supported by Scottish Enterprise and key floating‑wind developers estimate that Squid can cut installation time by as much as 50 % compared with conventional methods. This acceleration translates into broader weather windows for installation, reducing downtime caused by storms or calm periods. Additionally, the system facilitates a “tow‑to‑port” maintenance strategy, allowing faulty units to be returned to shore for repair rather than performing costly offshore interventions. Collectively, these advantages are projected to save developers approximately £1 billion per gigawatt of installed capacity, a substantial economic incentive for large‑scale floating wind projects.
Financial Impact and Scale‑up Potential
The projected cost savings stem not only from reduced vessel time but also from lower logistical complexity and diminished risk of weather‑related delays. By halving the installation schedule, developers can effectively double the number of turbines commissioned within a typical construction season, directly addressing a major bottleneck in achieving gigawatt‑scale floating wind farms. The financial model assumes a baseline installation cost and applies the time‑reduction factor across multiple projects, illustrating how Squid could improve the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for floating wind and make the technology more competitive with fixed‑bottom alternatives.
ABS Review and PDA Significance
ABS undertook a comprehensive evaluation of Squid’s design, scrutinizing structural integrity, fatigue performance, corrosion protection, and compliance with offshore wind‑specific standards such as DNV‑GL‑ST‑0119 and IEC 61400‑3. The PDA confirms that the system meets these rigorous criteria, validating that the innovative integration does not compromise safety or reliability. Achieving the PDA after only seven months from AIP underscores the maturity of the technology and the effectiveness of Encomara’s engineering approach, positioning Squid for the next phases of qualification and eventual market entry.
Pathway to Technology Readiness and Commercial Deployment
The PDA represents a pivotal step toward attaining higher TRL levels, with subsequent stages including prototype testing, full‑scale validation, and ultimately commercial certification. To advance this pathway, Encomara has scheduled a series of onshore demonstrations at AES’ Huntly facility in July, where the Squid unit will be showcased under controlled conditions. These will be followed by inshore wet testing and live customer demonstrations at Ardersier in August, providing real‑world performance data in a marine environment. Successful outcomes from these trials are expected to de‑risk the technology further and attract interest from major floating‑wind developers.
Details of Upcoming Demonstrations
The July onshore demonstrations at Huntly will focus on verifying the mechanical and electrical interfaces of the Squid unit, including load‑testing of mooring connectors and signal integrity of integrated power cables. Participants will have the opportunity to observe the “plug‑and‑play” concept in action, assessing ease of handling and installation timing. The subsequent August program at Ardersier will move the system into a sheltered coastal setting, allowing for wet‑test procedures such as buoyancy checks, subsea connection maneuvers, and simulated turbine hook‑up under varying sea states. These tests are designed to gather quantitative data on installation speed, repeatability, and operational safety, which will feed directly into the TRL assessment process.
Encomara’s Founding and Corporate Backing
Encomara was established in 2023 by four seasoned professionals, each boasting over three decades of experience in the offshore energy sector. Among the founders is Malcolm Bowie, the original patent holder of the Squid concept, whose deep expertise in subsea engineering guided the system’s early development. In 2025, the company was acquired by Aurora Energy Services (AES), one of the United Kingdom’s fastest‑growing renewable‑energy services providers. This acquisition brought together Encomara’s innovative technology with AES’ extensive project execution capabilities, creating a strong platform for scaling Squid toward commercial reality.
Leadership Perspective – Ian Donald
Ian Donald, Encomara’s Managing Director and a veteran of commercializing patented energy technologies, emphasized the strategic value of Squid: “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.” He noted that the team’s collective North Sea marine and engineering background is being directly applied to one of the most pressing challenges of the global energy transition. Donald described achieving the PDA as a testament to the collaborative effort between Encomara and AES, and affirmed that live testing represents the next significant step toward deploying the technology in floating wind projects worldwide.
ABS Endorsement – Rob Langford
Rob Langford, ABS Vice President for Global Offshore Renewables, highlighted the broader relevance of Squid’s approach: “Some of the most practical solutions for floating wind will come from what has been proven to work in the traditional offshore sectors and adapting it to the unique risk profile of offshore wind. ABS is proud to support Encomara in bringing that approach to this sector, and this assessment reflects the technical depth behind it.” Langford’s comment underscores ABS’ recognition that leveraging established offshore oil‑and‑gas practices—such as integrated subsea hardware—can accelerate innovation in the emerging floating wind market while maintaining rigorous safety and reliability standards.
Support, Intellectual Property, and Manufacturing Outlook
Squid enjoys backing from Scottish Enterprise and the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, reflecting confidence in its potential to advance the UK’s renewable‑energy ambitions. Patent protection has been secured across key jurisdictions, including Europe, Asia, and Australia, safeguarding the technology as it moves toward international deployment. AES has identified its Huntly facility as a candidate for high‑volume manufacturing of Squid units, anticipating that scalable production will be essential to meet the anticipated demand from gigawatt‑scale floating wind farms. This manufacturing readiness, combined with the demonstrated performance benefits, positions Squid to become a standard‑setting solution for efficient, safe, and cost‑effective floating offshore wind installation.