Flintstone Sets Sights on Floating Wind

Flintstone Technology Ltd is diversifying its Subsea Mooring Connector (SMC) to help drive down costs for the offshore floating wind industry.

According to Flintstone Technology, the SMC system, which has been used in a number of oil & gas projects, is a low cost, easy to install solution which will help make the offshore wind industry more competitive.

The SMC has been designed for connecting to anchor points on the seabed using a self-aligning male and female forging with simple load pin. The male, connected to the mooring line, is lowered by crane into the female which is mounted on the seabed pile or suction anchor, after which a simple load pin is inserted through the female and male, allowing the connector to be lifted away by the mooring line.

“We have developed several products that reduce offshore installation time, bring weight savings onboard the floaters and support safer operations,” Andrew Clayson, Managing Director of Flintstone, said.

“There are many similarities between the offshore floating wind and oil and gas supply chains. Our technology, although originally designed for offshore floating production, is suitable for any permanently, moored floating system. We believe we can make a real impact in the OFW sector to increase efficiency and drive down costs.”

The SMC can be used for chain wire or rope connections at the seabed where the vertical installation is possible, such as on suction and driven pile, as well as for handling the piles during their installation, Flintstone Technology said.

The Scottish company said that the technology is capable of all ROV installation, can be easily disconnected by ROV, is tolerant of dirt and debris, has high-fatigue resistance, and requires no chemical anti-corrosion packs.