THE CHALLENGE
One of the more complex challenges facing the offshore renewables sector is grid integration. In particular, how to address the mismatch between intermittent renewable energy production and consumer demand. Renewable energy sources deliver a power output that oscillates over time, but consumers demand stable and reliable power at all times. Enter FLASC, a novel energy storage technology designed to convert variable renewable energy supply into a stable output that facilitates seamless grid integration.
THE SOLUTION
FLASC’s Hydro-Pneumatic Energy Storage (HPES) technology stores energy by pumping seawater to compress a fixed volume of pressurized gas. When in charging mode, electricity is used to pump water into this closed chamber, working to compress the pre-charged gas. In discharging mode, the compressed gas is allowed to expand, releasing the pressurized water through a hydraulic turbine to generate electricity. The unit can be integrated directly into a floating offshore platform or installed as an external plug-and-play solution. The technology is ideal for absorbing or dissipating energy to stabilize rapid changes in output, allowing operators to improve asset utilization and deliver renewable power on demand.
OFFSHORE APPLICATION
FLASC has been successfully prototyped and tested and has already received a Statement of Feasibility from DNV. This breakthrough technology has been engineered to help large offshore wind farms improve the quality of power production to consumer grids; to supply reliable power in remote locations; and to support decarbonization efforts of the offshore oil & gas sector. FLASC can also improve the performance and lifetime of electrolyzers when producing Green Hydrogen from wind.
The FLASC technology can also be used in applications requiring large volumes of cold pressurized seawater. These include:
- Offshore green H2 production
- Liquefaction of CO2 for carbon capture and storage
- Seawater desalination
- Liquefaction of natural gas (LNG)
- Water injection for oil extraction from subsea wells
FLASC leverages existing infrastructure and established supply chains, along with the marine environment itself as a natural heatsink, resulting in a safe, reliable and cost-effective solution.
A long service lifetime and no cycling degradation means that a FLASC HPES system can reduce total cost of ownership by 40-50% when compared to the equivalent lithium-ion battery bank. Finally, the system can be safely decommissioned and fully recycled at end-of-life.
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION
In 2020, FLASC secured a strategic collaboration with Subsea 7, a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry. This collaboration leverages Subsea 7’s worldclass technical expertise in the development of offshore subsea solutions to accelerate the deployment of utility scale, low maintenance, offshore energy storage.
“This collaboration with Subsea 7, a global leader in the sector, 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,” said Daniel Buhagiar, Co-Founder and CEO, FLASC B.V.
FLASC was also awarded the “Best Innovation Award” at Offshore Energy 2020, an award that recognizes best-in-class innovation across the entire offshore energy sector. In addition, FLASC has been awarded the “Solar Impulse Efficient Solution” Label, rewarding profitable solutions to protect the environment, and identifying it as one of 1000 Solutions to Change The World.
For more information, visit: www.offshoreenergystorage.com
This story was originally featured in ON&T Magazine’s May 2021 issue. Click here to read more.
