A Scottish-led subsea technological innovation which could redefine global floating windfarm installation has taken a major step forward by gaining Approval in Principle (AiP) certification.
The subsea mooring and connection system - SquidTM - has been designed by Aberdeen-based Encomara to speed up and de-risk the installation of floating wind turbines.
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) - regarded as a global standard certification in offshore and subsea systems - has recognised the Squid system’s unique design properties and granted AiP status.
The proprietary quick-connect system integrates pre-installed mooring and electrical connections in one modular subsea unit and can host multi-use infrastructure, including dynamic inter-array systems and hybrid generation models.
Independent modelling indicates that Squid could double deployment rates for floating turbines and significantly cut costs by reducing exposure to weather delays and resultant vessel downtime.
Encomara - which is exhibiting at Floating Offshore Wind 2026 in Aberdeen - will now move towards achieving a full technical qualification and system demonstration in readiness for launching the product commercially.
Encomara's patented Squid system enables pre installation of moorings and power cables for floating offshore wind turbines
The construction of a Squid prototype and factory acceptance testing in Q1-26 will be followed by offshore demonstrations which are scheduled for mid-2026.
Separately, in partnership with Ossian Wind Farm - one of the largest planned in Scottish waters - and with the support of Scottish Enterprise’s CAN DO Innovation Challenge Fund, Encomara have successfully demonstrated the value of the Squid system in accelerating offshore wind build-out.
The joint project will move on to a second phase in which Encomara will work with hull vendors to define a “Squid Friendly Hull” standard specification, ensuring Squid will deliver seamless integration with all emerging hull configurations.
Patents are already secured in Europe, Asia and Australia and Encomara are hoping to further engage with Scottish Enterprise, the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, and GB Energy to support the journey to commercialisation.
Encomara managing director, Ian Donald, said: “The potential efficiency gains, not to mention improvements in project scheduling for offshore turbine operators, offer a game-changing value proposition of £1 billion per 1GW field. This is a prime example of drawing on decades of North Sea oil and gas engineering heritage and evolving it to support energy transition through the faster roll-out of offshore wind turbines.
“Obtaining ABS AiP certification confirms our design meets international offshore standards and is an important step forward in realising the huge potential of Squid. We will now focus on developing the Squid for full scale qualification and demonstration to achieve the appropriate Technology Readiness Level for full commercial development.”
Ian Donald Encomara managing director (left) and Doug Duguid CEO Aurora Energy Services
Ian Donald held senior roles at Venture, Apache and Neptune in a 40 years offshore subsea field development career and previously founded Enpro Subsea and DES Operations Ltd, which were both acquired after the successful global commercialisation of patented technology.
He added: “Squid is being developed and will be manufactured and qualified in Scotland but the technology has far-reaching potential for offshore wind operators the world over.”
Encomara is part of Aurora Energy Services, one of the UK’s fastest growing renewable energy services companies which is committed to supporting national and international net-zero energy goals.
Aurora Energy Services chief executive officer, Doug Duguid, added: “We acquired Encomara in early 2025 because we identified the huge potential its proprietary Squid system could offer to one of our key markets, the offshore wind sector.
“We are delighted that this ground-breaking technology has achieved a strategic approval milestone and look forward to supporting Ian Donald and the Encomara team in making Squid a commercial reality.”