North East cleantech scale-up Kinewell Energy has signed a multi-year global contract with Equinor for the use of its pioneering KLOC software.
Kinewell Energy has benefited from match-funding through the £3.5m Technology Innovation and Green Growth in Offshore Renewables (TIGGOR) programme in the North East of England, delivered by Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and funded by North of Tyne Combined Authority and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership. Equinor is a delivery partner in the programme providing technical expertise.
Kinewell Energy now employs 10 people in the region, whose jobs will be supported by this new contract.
Initially launched in 2015, the market-leading Kinewell Layout Optimisation of Cable (KLOC) software designs economically optimised inter-array cable layouts for offshore wind farms.
Kinewell Energy has collaborated with Equinor since its inception on various demonstration projects, working with teams in the UK, USA and South Korea.
Following demonstration projects, Kinewell Energy provided commercial consultancy services to optimise the cable layout of Equinor’s Beacon offshore wind project near Massachusetts, which will provide power to New York state.
The new contract will enable KLOC to be made available for utilisation by Equinor staff in-house to support the company’s global offshore wind development pipeline.
In addition to the KLOC software, the partnership will enable Equinor to utilise Kinewell’s recently launched Heatmap modules. Kinewell Energy’s new Heatmap Module enables developers to improve the seabed surveying process during the planning phase of offshore wind farms, saving significant time and money.
(L-R) Tom Nightingale, North East Stakeholder Manager for Equinor; Jamie Driscoll, Elected Metro Mayor for the North of Tyne; and Dr Andrew Jenkins, Founder and CEO of Kinewell Energy
Dr Andrew Jenkins, CEO and Founder of Kinewell Energy, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have entered into this global partnership with Equinor, which will enable our software solutions to be deployed on major offshore developments the world-over.
“When we set up Kinewell Energy, we did so with the aim of developing a software solution that could help speed up and make it more cost effective to construct much-needed infrastructure projects to support our societal transition to net-zero and in Equinor we have a customer helping us to realise that ambition.
“Operating in over 30 countries, the company is playing a key role globally in the transition to embracing renewable energy and we are proud to be joining them on their journey as they break new ground and help solve the energy ‘trilemma’ of climate, affordability and security.”
The KLOC software solution has already been successfully deployed on developments across Europe, Japan, South Korea, the USA and China and typically delivers savings around 20% of cable system cost over a project lifetime.
The KLOC software can be licensed by clients to use in-house, or Kinewell Energy can work on behalf of clients in an advisory role. As part of the deal with Equinor, the Kinewell Energy team will provide training and support to Equinor’s staff in order for the software to be used internally.
Elected Metro Mayor for the North of Tyne, Jamie Driscoll, said: “This is a win-win-win-win. It’s great recognition for Kinewell – for their inventiveness and expertise. It’s promising for Equinor – helping them to work even more efficiently, cheaply, and sustainably.
“It’s a coup for the region – creating new jobs and opportunities. And it’s good news for the planet – as our windfarms become more efficient, cutting our reliance on fossil fuels. This is the Green New Deal in action.”