Kinewell CTO: Advanced Tech is Revolutionising Offshore Wind

The journey towards a net-zero future is taking a significant leap forward with innovative technology leading the charge. At the forefront of this transformation is Dr Henna Bains, Kinewell Energy's newly-appointed CTO, whose background in offshore wind technology research at Durham University equips her well for the challenge ahead.

By harnessing pioneering technology, Kinewell is on a mission to dramatically lower the costs associated with offshore wind farm inter-array cabling, boasting potential savings of £3m to £30m (US$3.9m and US$39.1m) per GW of installed capacity.

In the realm of renewable energy, Kinewell emerges as a hub of technological excellence and a champion of environmental care, continually pushing the boundaries of what's possible within the green energy sector.

Henna, alongside her dynamic team, is making substantial strides in offshore wind technology and is recognised for her leadership and innovation as a Northern Power Women Future Leader in 2023. Through Kinewell's sterling infrastructure optimisation solutions, they are enabling developers and consultants globally to slash costs and optimise design strategies for offshore wind ventures.

Leading the way with groundbreaking solutions

As the chief orchestrator of Kinewell Energy's software advancements, Henna spearheads the development of cutting-edge products like KLOC for inter-array cable layout optimisation, KDOTS for export system design and KWOTA for efficient wind turbine placement. Her direction is vital in advancing the company's technological roadmap to provide clients with first-rate tools for expedient and cost-effective offshore wind deployment.

KDOTS stands as a pivotal innovation in offshore transmission planning, offering support for selecting the most fitting export systems based on a comprehensive evaluation of options and uncertainties.

“KDOTS is an innovative new-to-market software tool to support decisions around offshore transmission technology choices,” Henna said. “It can help by not only considering many options, but also factor in uncertainties, enabling clients to choose the most appropriate export system for their risk profile.”

Embedded in this software is the culmination of Henna's expertise in applying advanced mathematical concepts to aid wind farm developers in making informed, risk-wise decisions, notably around cost drivers like hydrogen.

“Offshore wind farms are typically located many kilometres offshore, which requires infrastructure to connect turbines to the onshore grid, enabling clean power to our communities,” she added. “This is the role of the offshore transmission system. These systems require considered planning to minimise costs and there is often limited relevant data during early-stage project design, which can be challenging.”

Overcoming offshore wind challenges with technological progress

The ongoing economic concerns cast a shadow on offshore wind infrastructure endeavours, underscoring the necessity for ongoing innovation to drive down costs. Despite notable advancements, the ambition for deploying floating wind farms and undertaking larger offshore projects demands further technological breakthroughs.

Henna emphasises the role of AI and sophisticated mathematics in propelling Kinewell Energy's software solutions to forefront of cost reduction and efficiency enhancement in offshore wind, setting the stage for future innovations.

“All of Kinewell Energy’s software solutions leverage AI and advanced mathematics to accelerate and reduce the cost of offshore wind, positioning Kinewell well to drive further innovation in this space,” Henna continued.

“Delivering 55GW of offshore wind by 2030 is expected to require more than 100,000 jobs in the sector and transmission infrastructure is seen as a key bottleneck for the delivery of new offshore wind. Utilising digital tools, such as ours, accelerates projects, allowing engineers to work on difficult to automate tasks.” 

The UK Government’s advocacy for design automation software like Kinewell’s KDOTS to expedite deployment highlights the urgent need for such innovations.

​​​​​​​Henna said: “So far, we have focused on solutions to support offshore wind planning and have a pipeline of exciting innovations in development to continue to meet the needs of our clients and the offshore sector. This is ultimately in line with working towards our shared goal of increased renewables. We seek to continue this work, championing collaboration over competition, through our licensing business model to strategically enable continuous innovation at scale.

“We are always keen to explore new ways we can work with others to solve new challenges that deliver significant positive impact and accelerate the global transition to net zero.”

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