PTTEP, Thailand's state energy company, has invested in a Scottish project aimed at showcasing the feasibility of powering subsea assets using wave energy. The Renewables for Subsea Power (RSP) project, led by Mocean Energy and Verlume, now includes PTTEP as a consortium partner. Other partners in the project include Baker Hughes, Serica Energy, Harbour Energy, Transmark Subsea, and the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC).

The RSP project is currently conducting tests at a site off the coast of Orkney. PTTEP will have access to all the project's data and results, offering input to test plans and receiving a feasibility assessment for using RSP technology at a location of its choice. The £2 million initiative connects Mocean Energy's Blue X wave energy converter with Verlume's Halo underwater battery, demonstrating the combination of green technologies for providing reliable, low-carbon power and communications to subsea equipment.

The project aims to offer a cost-effective alternative to carbon-intensive and time-consuming umbilical cables. By integrating wave technology with an underwater battery, the RSP partners seek to contribute to the decarbonization of operations in various locations worldwide. The addition of PTTEP to the consortium highlights international interest in the project's potential.

The RSP project's third phase is being deployed in Orkney, following successful onshore testing at Verlume's Aberdeen base. Mocean Energy's Blue X prototype has also undergone extensive at-sea testing at the European Marine Energy Centre's Scapa Flow test site in Orkney. Mhairi Begg, the technology manager at NZTC, emphasizes that PTTEP's involvement demonstrates the global collaboration and advancement of green technologies in the quest for energy transition.