Tech start-up to power world-leading wind farm

A Newcastle University tech start-up has landed a contract to help develop one of the world’s largest offshore wind developments.

Kinewell Energy has secured a contract with Big Six energy supplier SSE Renewables to map out its ambitious Berwick Bank Wind Farm development.

Covering 945sqkm with the potential to deliver up to 4.1 GW of installed capacity, Berwick Bank Wind Farm, situated in the Outer Firth of Forth, will be able to power over 5 million homes, making it one of the largest projects of its kind, anywhere in the world.

Since its launch in 2015, the Kinewell Layout Optimisation of Cable (KLOC) software solution – which will be deployed by SSE Renewables during the development of Berwick Bank – has been utilised across the globe.

Harnessing game-changing technology within its AI based optimisation engine, the software helps developers drive down costs, reduce the amount of cable required, reduce emissions and significantly slash the duration of engineering design work.

Dr Andrew Jenkins, CEO and founder, began to form Kinewell Energy whilst completing his PhD at Newcastle University, accessing enterprise support from the Careers Service.

“We founded Kinewell Energy with the aim of substantially reducing the cost of offshore wind cable systems through innovative use of advanced mathematical algorithms,” Dr Jenkins said.

“We have significantly sped up and improved the process of designing cable layouts for offshore windfarms and we have been blown away by the successes we’ve recorded so far.

“Over the past five years, we have worked with some of the world’s biggest energy producers and it’s not unusual for our team to add value to offshore wind projects of around US$50m, so we’re delighted to be working with SSE Renewables on a project which is so close to home.

“As a 4.1GW project, Berwick Bank will not only be one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms, but it will also play a key role in helping the UK achieve its Net Zero ambitions, and we’re all incredibly proud to be playing a part in its development.”

The KLOC software solution has already been successfully deployed on developments across Europe, Japan, South Korea, the USA and China, however Berwick Bank –– will be one of the company’s largest projects to date.

International impact from the North East of England

Dr Jenkins added: “Early projections estimate that Berwick Bank could create over 9,000 jobs and potentially boost the UK economy by £8.3billion by generating enough clean, renewable energy to power over five million homes, making it a hugely significant project. It is absolutely essential that projects such as Berwick Bank are rapidly progressed if the UK and Scottish Governments are to meet their 2030 targets for offshore wind growth.

“In the wake of COP27, it was laid bare just how much we need to reboot global climate policy and we’re delighted that our unique technology, which has been developed right here in the North East of England, is helping power such globally significant infrastructure projects.”

Ross Cottam, ESI Package Manager at SSE Renewables, said: “The development of Berwick Bank Wind Farm is rapidly progressing and as we prepare to submit our planning application, the focus now moves towards the design and delivery of the windfarm.

“Kinewell’s software will allow us to look at ways of optimising the layout of our inter-array cables and Offshore Substation (OSPs) locations at an earlier stage of the design, giving us the opportunity to find potential cost savings in multiple areas of the project reducing our Levelised Cost of Electricity ( LCOE.)

“It also ties into our commitment of ensuring that local people benefit from Berwick Bank as much as possible, be it creating jobs or creating opportunities for local organisations – such as Kinewell – to get on board as suppliers, so we’re delighted to be working with them on the project.”

The development of Kinewell’s KLOC software solution was supported by funding from the North of Tyne Combined Authority’s (NTCA) TIGGOR programme, delivered by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.

Dr Graham Smith, TIGGOR programme manager, said: “The Kinewell team have developed a truly incredible capability for the offshore wind industry with the KLOC software solution through the TIGGOR programme. The value added is evident by the clear industry demand including this contract with SSE and others, resulting in Kinewell creating ten new jobs over the last 18 months.”

Business growth creates new jobs and diverse workforce

Dr Jenkins added: “Our growth trajectory is doubling every year, and if this continues as we expect it will, we anticipate creating up to 70 new jobs over the next three years.

“We’re also proud that the diversity of our workforce already meets the offshore wind industry’s 2030 target, and we want to go even further to achieve a workforce that is truly representative of society and help more people explore careers in this exciting and incredibly rewarding industry.”

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Photo by Nicholas Doherty on Unsplash. Release adapted with thanks to Kinewell Energy.

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