A new DNV report states that SENSEWind’s innovative technology could reduce the Levelised Cost of Energy (LCoE) of a large fixed bottom offshore windfarm by 4.7% – which is equivalent to a £1bn saving over the operational life.
Previous independent studies show SENSE could deliver similar savings for large onshore and offshore floating windfarms, unlocking huge efficiencies and cost reductions for the industry. For example 7% LCoE saving for a 2GW onshore windfarm saves around £300m and 9% LCoE saving for a 2GW floating windfarm saves almost £3bn.
All of these reports demonstrate how SENSEWinds’ innovative technology can be applied across all wind energy projects – onshore and offshore – to significantly reduce costs, speed up installation and reduce risks.
So, how does it work? Instead of requiring new and very large Jack-Up Vessels (JUVs), SENSEWind’s unique self-installing system transports the Rotor Nacelle Assembly (RNA) to the top of the tower using an innovative carriage system. This means smaller, and more widely available JUVs can do the job – extending their operational life and reducing installation and maintenance costs.
SENSEWinds’ first commercial product will be an onshore 6MW, developed in cooperation with a WTG OEM, progressing to fixed-bottom offshore where the savings are now and ultimately for floating offshore, to provide an alternative to “tow back to port.”
💡 What this means for the industry:
✅ Lower installation costs using existing vessels
✅ Faster, more efficient turbine servicing – including a new approach to Major Component Replacement
✅ Potential to revolutionise both fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind
🔹 Julian Brown, Chair of SENSEWind:
“We are so pleased that DNV has further quantified the value of SENSE to the offshore wind industry. Not only does our technology reduce installation time and costs, utilising widely available vessels, it provides the opportunity for a different approach to Major Component Replacement, so the turbine is up and running again quickly.”
🔹 Patrick Geraets, CEO of SENSEWind:
“The results from DNV for fixed-bottom validates our approach to solving the increasingly difficult problem of installation and long term maintenance of ever larger turbines. I am not aware of any other technology under development today which can deliver the level of saving predicted for the SENSE system.
🔹 Chris Walker (Lead investor), Founder and Chairman of Muirhall Energy Ltd:
“The DNV report is very encouraging and gives credibility to the opportunity the SENSE technology offers. I am keen to deploy the technology on Muirhall’s 1GW pipeline of onshore projects as soon as we can identify an OEM partner to work with.”
Next steps:
SENSEWind will install a 2MW onshore demonstrator later this year, supported by UK Government grant funding (DESNZ), and is already working on scaling up to a 6-8MW onshore commercial prototype.
The offshore wind sector is evolving fast – SENSEWind is at the forefront of this transformation.