Proserv and Synaptec sign strategic alliance agreement

Proserv Controls has penned a strategic alliance with power system monitoring leader Synaptec to develop a cutting-edge integrated holistic cable monitoring system, which will reduce downtime, improve safety and lower operating costs at offshore wind farms.

The wide-ranging objective of the partnership is to move both companies forward in several energy markets, including offshore wind and upstream oil and gas, via the co-development of multiple innovative products and services.

Synaptec was founded in Glasgow in 2014 and provides distributed sensor networks to improve visibility and control of power systems across the offshore wind, transmission and distribution industries. Its advanced technologies use optical fibres and are completely passive: a global first for the power sector.

Paul Cook, Proserv’s Product Manager – Renewables, commented: “Proserv’s stature as an independent controls technology provider, and the ability for our solutions to coexist with all other equipment manufacturers’ control, monitoring and power systems, were a strong attraction to Synaptec.

“For us, Synaptec’s unique non-intrusive passive monitoring capability means we have the scope to integrate this technology, alongside other monitoring techniques, to bring significant added value to our future control systems.”

Proserv will incorporate Synaptec’s unique passive distributed electro-mechanical sensing (DES) technology within the monitoring solution.

Synaptec’s patented optical sensing capabilities, complemented by Proserv’s leading controls technology, allows the retrofit of control systems, enabling faults and failures to be identified pre-emptively, through a non-intrusive approach. The clear value for the end user lies in the saving of installation costs and in providing the capability to mitigate the occurrence of faults.

Philip Orr, Managing Director, Synaptec, said: “Cable failures continue to be a significant challenge for the offshore wind sector. Through this new partnership we are bringing to market a solution which will support the growth and progress of the energy transition and positively impact the operations and maintenance costs for offshore wind operators. It’s an important milestone and demonstrates both Synaptec’s and Proserv’s commitment to a stable energy future at a time when the energy sector is undergoing the biggest transformation we’ll see in our lifetimes.”

The partners will also evaluate how best to incorporate Synaptec’s unique passive DES into Proserv’s cutting-edge subsea control systems in order to monitor the performance of critical infrastructure.

The two firms will work to integrate their mutual technologies to generate condition monitoring solutions which will take preventative failure warnings to another level of sophistication, enabling timely intervention by operators, and thus preventing outages and costly lost production.

Davis Larssen, CEO, Proserv Controls, added: “This alliance represents an exciting opportunity for both parties. Our goal is to combine our respective capabilities to deliver innovative, market-leading products that will ultimately enhance our clients’ production efficiencies and improve their profitability.”

The agreement represents a key step on Proserv’s technology roadmap, with the firm continuing to build a disruptive, technology-driven controls business in the offshore wind sector, as it seeks to play a significant part in the energy transition.