Thoroughness and pioneering for more than 55 years
We at ISC have always taken pride in doing things properly and thoroughly. Simultaniously we are pushing the boundaries of engineering. One does not exclude the other. Within renewable energy, it is crucial that you dare to and can innovate – the industry has wind in its sails but we have to insist on pushing further. ISC is leading the way and insists on challenging and moving the notions of what is possible.
Power-to-x (PtX) and offshore hydrogen are seriously on the way forward, and we are at the forefront. The same applies to developments in floating wind. We do this based on decades of experience with offshore wind energy both within substations and foundations. ISC has been a leader in offshore substations for two decades with a market share of more than 60% of all substations on 3 continents, the world’s largest offshore substation and the world’s first offshore substation built in our backyard in the Baltic Sea in 2003.
It is therefore given that we at ISC are involved in the development of both offshore hydrogen and floating wind.
Offshore pioneers – the world’s first offshore substation in 2003
We developed and designed the world’s first substation for an offshore wind farm in 2003: Nysted Offshore Wind Farm in the Baltic Sea.
That marked the beginning of almost 20 years with ISC as leading consultants on offshore projects in the field of renewable energy. Projects that have contributed to pushing the boundaries of what one manages today when it comes to utilizing the enormous amount of renewable energy that is found in offshore winds. We believe that we can make even better use of offshore winds so that we can accelerate the sustainable conversion of our energy consumption and reduce our common climate footprint.
Photo: Nysted Offshore Wind Farm and the world’s first HVAC substation.
Since the construction of Nysted Offshore Wind Farm, ISC has been a pioneer in the development and innovation of solutions in renewable energy. This has made us the market leader in offshore wind substations. We are committed to finding the solutions for the future, and for better utilization of renewable energy sources – including power-to-x and offshore hydrogen.
Our fingerprint on more than 60% of the market – including the world’s largest offshore substation
Our engineers’ unique competencies and expertise in the design of the main elements in offshore wind farms, make us a preferred consultant in offshore wind energy worldwide. This has resulted in us taking a leading role in the market with a market share in the design of more than 60% of all manufactured offshore substations. For example, we have prepared detailed designs of the offshore substation and RCS for the world’s largest offshore offshore wind farm – Hornsea ll which generates 1320 MW.
Photo: Hornsea ll substation being lifted into place.
50 offshore substations in Europe, Asia & USA
We have provided innovative consulting to clients in Europe, Asia and the United States on the design of more than 50 offshore substations as well as a host of projects related to offshore wind turbine foundations. As an industry leader, we have solid experience and an impressive catalog of successfully executed projects – and we are ready to help our clients on their future offshore growth journeys. We consult on complete detailed design of both offshore substation and wind turbine foundations. In collaboration with our clients and partners, we always strive to find the best and most effective solution that balances CAPEX and OPEX for our clients.
Illustration: Offshore substations designed by ISC.
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Market leaders with 50 offshore substations and counting
As market leaders with more than 60% of substations worldwide, including the world’s first and the world’s largest (HVAC) substations, we are the obvious choice for your next offshore energy project.
Our engineers have unique specialist knowledge in offshore substations’ design, development, and execution. This knowledge is based on the designs of 50 successful and well-executed substations located on large sea areas globally, as seen above. This means that our engineers have solid experience collaborating with clients from all over the world. The best results are created by a collaboration between clients, partners, and our multidisciplinary team of engineers.
Offshore substations designed by us
Hornsea II
Kriegers Flak
Triton Knoll
Horns Rev 2
Lillgrund
Nysted
- 2026
- Coastal Virginia
- Hai Long 2 & 3
- Baltic Power
- 2023
- Vineyard
- 2022
- Hornsea 2
- Arcadis Ost 1
- Kaskasi II
- 2021
- Moray East
- 2019
- Northwester 2
- Albatros
- 2018
- Triton Knoll
- Rentel
- Kriegers Flak
- Triton Knoll 1 & 2
- Borkum Riffgrund 2
- 2016
- Blight Bank Phase 2
- Nordsee One
- Sandbank
- 2015
- Gode Wind 1
- Gode Wind 2
- 2014
- Nordsee Ost
- 2013
- Northwind
- West Of Duddon Sands
- Borkum Riffgrund 1
- 2011
- Walney 1 & 2
- 2010
- Baltic 1
- 2009
- Horns Rev 2
- 2008
- Gunfleet Sands
- 2007
- Lillgrund
- Princess Amalia
- 2003
- Nysted
We consult within all phases of the project
We provide independent consultancy, both directly to owners of wind farms and developers as well as to EPCI contractors.
Our key competence in the design of substations lies in our ability to carry out all necessary tasks associated with a substation design. This covers all phases from FEED/concept design through detailed design, documents for tender, assistance during manufacturing, installation, and commissioning as well as following phases such as supervision and follow-up.
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Foundation projects delivered to more than 30 offshore wind farms
References for WTG Foundations
When looking into our catalog, you will see that we have carried out successful offshore projects with more than 30 offshore wind farms. We, therefore, know from experience that project management and control, as well as communication with developers are crucial to making an offshore project successful from start to finish.
We know that optimization is always a factor when building offshore wind farms. Furthermore, when designing and constructing WTG foundations, risk minimization is often a priority. Based on decades of experience within offshore structures we believe that by choosing us as designers you achieve more optimal solutions, better coordination, and significant savings on steel. Therefore, we believe that we at ISC should design both primary and secondary structures on your next WTG project.
We know how important it is that the design is carried out thoroughly – and we guarantee that we can deliver.
Our competencies in WTG foundations
Our offshore experience has given us expertise that we utilize in WTG foundation projects. This covers various types of underwater structures, including the monopile and various jacket types. We have experience working with local authorities throughout Europe, APAC and the US to create regulatory approved solutions in accordance with local regulations.
We have solid experience liaising with all stakeholders within a WTG foundation project. Taking into account inputs from O&M, HSE, WTG supplier, fabricators, and various installation parties amoung others.
Primary structures
Our vast track record in design of offshore structures both in the renewable sector but also within oil and gas, proves that we time and time again deliver high-quality designs of all types of offshore foundation types (monopiles, jackets, gravity based). Our extensive experience gives us an exceptional understanding of design of primary structures in general, therefore, we recognize the importance of finding a cost-efficient foundation design that, for primary structures of WTG foundations, considers numerous factors. This includes optimizations with regard to interaction with turbine loads, wind and wave loads, soil data, and the impact of secondary structures. We strive to achieve a design phase that includes all stakeholders and at the same time focuses on the common goal of delivering top-quality foundations.
Secondary Structures
Secondary structures may sound insignificant, however, at ISC we know that these structures are key to a sound and efficient foundation design with regard to all life-cycle phases of a WTG foundation. We know that a well-thought-out secondary structure design has a significant impact on the fabrication cost, both in regard to general savings on the primary steel usage, and in the fabrication cost of the secondary structures itself. Furthermore, as secondary structures include access and working spaces on the foundation, a simple but safe design will have a direct impact on the operational phase by lowering HSE risks and reducing maintenance of the structures.
We have been part of the design phase for all secondary structures on more than 30 offshore wind farms. Structures both fit for onshore and offshore installation.
The scope of secondary structures includes:
- External steel and concrete working platforms
- Internal platform modules
- Ladders, resting platforms, and boat landings
- Bolting flanges between MP and TP
- Grouting systems and connections
- J-tubes
- Anode support structures
- Guide systems
- Technical standards and O&M manuals
Geotechnical Engineering
Through our many offshore foundation designs we have developed a strong geotechnical experience especially within pile design, but also for other types such as gravity based foundations.
To ensure a smooth and optimal connection between the ground data and foundation design our geotechnical team is always an integrated part of the design process in all phases. Our experience is that a close corporation translate directly into cost and risk reductions for our clients, and ultimately results in a better overall design.
Electrical Installations
High-quality electrical installations within a WTG structure are a complex undertaking that needs a very high level of integration towards all disciplines in order for the WTG to come together as a good technical and cost-efficient solution.
Considerations towards space reservations, serviceability throughout the lifespan of the WTG, as well as low fabrication and installation costs, and at the same time ensuring the most effective short-span fabrication cycle are all essential factors that requires specialist knowledge in order to produce the most optimum solution possible.
We have been part of the offshore market for quality design solutions for decades and are widely known for delivering a large variety of customized solutions within every aspect of the electrical and instrument discipline always with quality and innovation as keywords.
This long-term knowledge enables us to quickly and effectively provide highly specialized solutions that fit the individual task at hand – and as we have all engineering disciplines in-house, we can effortlessly generate the best and most optimized electrical and instrumental solution possible.
Transport & Installation
We have a long-lasting experience with engineering of constructions for installation and transportation of offshore structures. Our experience with multiple international projects and customers prove that we can deliver in all project phases from FEED to detailed design through supervision during fabrication and offshore installation. We have made installation tools and sea fastening designs for topsides, jackets, and monopiles for shorter and longer sea voyages considering sea transportation loads and fatigues loads. We always strive to be a team player providing reliable engineering services for our customers and for the project as a whole, as we know that the T&I phase is a cost-intensive part of any offshore project.
Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)
In ISC, we know that a good foundation design must be synonymous with a safe design. Therefore, we strive to ensure that our foundation designs can be fabricated, installed, and operated safely – after all human health and safety is of absolute importance. We have solid experience running or participating actively in HAZOP and HAZID studies throughout the design phase incorporating findings directly into our designs. We also offer fire and safety design. Our in-house safety designers have numerous experiences designing escape routes, passive fire protection, fire and safety plans, and safety labeling.
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The time has come for green hydrogen
We believe innovative engineering creates new and valuable solutions. Successful industrial innovation always springs from integrating experience, capabilities, and key disciplines in new settings and challenges. Green offshore hydrogen production is a new setting constituting new challenges for everyone.
We have experience from decades of successful offshore projects and have the competencies to lead offshore hydrogen projects. In other words: we are capable of realizing your offshore hydrogen project.
Leading and pioneering offshore projects for decades
We are a leading engineering design partner for offshore industrial production facilities and have been so for decades. We designed the world’s first offshore substation for an offshore wind farm and stand as market leaders worldwide, with more than 60% of all substations projected. In the offshore oil & gas operation we provide complete engineering support to process units, infrastructure, and platforms in the North Sea. In our engineering team we work with clients and partners to establish techno-economic feasibility, conceptual, basic, and detailed engineering design of green-field electrolysis projects. And we have already begun our journey with wind-to-hydrogen.
We consult in every phase of the project
Industrial offshore hydrogen production platforms are emerging as one of several hydrogen production concepts utilizing power generated from offshore wind farms and water electrolysis technology to produce hydrogen. Each offshore project is unique, leading to different design choices and configurations to reach the optimal solution.
When considering and investigating your offshore hydrogen production opportunities we at ISC will use our comprehensive competence and experience in offshore engineering to best consult you in the early development, development, and execution phases of profitable offshore hydrogen projects.
Considering the technology and engineering capabilities required for designing and implementing offshore hydrogen production, it is all well established and tested in different industrial set-ups and scales. The complexity arises when bringing it all together in one new industrial set-up for offshore wind-to-hydrogen production.
Get in touch to investigate opportunities for offshore wind-to-hydrogen projects.
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Services & Engineering Disciplines
We provide independent engineering directly for wind farm owners and developers and EPCI contractors. We are market leaders with more than 60% of all projected substations worldwide and cooperate with frontrunners worldwide.
Our services include
- Feasibility Study
- Concept Study
- FEED Designs
- Basic & Detail Design
- Workshop Drawing
- Assistance with Certifications
- Assistance with Authority Approval, e.g. BSH, Boem etc.
- Offshore Assistance: Skilled staff holding offshore certificates.
- Employer Engineer: Engineering support during detail design, manufacturing and commissioning.
Development of employers’ requirements, philosophies and assistance doing EPC/EPCI contracting.
Engineering Disciplines
- Project Management
- General Arrangement: We are working with the client to achieve the best platform layout solution: Monopiles, Transition Pieces, Jackets etc.
- Structural: Design of an economical yet robust structure that optimises efficient installation.
- Geotechnical design: Design of piles, soil interpretation etc.
- Electrical: All electrical installations. Cable-ways, Earthing and Bonding, Single Line Diagrams, Power- and Light installations, Fire Alarm Systems, Auxiliary Systems and ATEX Area Classification.
- HVAC: Design of systems to maintain the correct conditions for the sensitive platform equipment.
- Mechanical: Working with the client to ascertain the appropriate demands and specifications for equipment, lifting and environmental protection.
- Piping: Open drain, bunkering, de-bunkering, seawater cleaning, technical water and sewage systems, sea water systems etc.
Isometrics, material lists and stress analysis. Technical specifications and datasheets. - Process: Process Flow (PFD), Process & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID), flow calculations, technical specifications and datasheets.
- Fire & Safety: We are cooperating with the client to achieve cost-effective fire & safety design.
Chaired Hazid and Hazop sessions for the client, Risk Management and studies, Fire and Explosion Risk Assesment (FERA).
Escape, Evacuation and Rescue Analysis (EERA), ALARP Register, Risk Assesments, FOAM and Argonite Systems.
