PDA marks the next stage of international certification following approval in principle (AIP) granted last November for SQUID, which was developed by Aberdeen-based Economara to improve how floating offshore wind turbines are installed.

The company’s connection solution integrates pre-installed mooring lines and electrical connections into a single subsea unit.

Whereas conventional installation requires multiple vessels and sequential operations spread across unpredictable weather windows, the patented technology allows rapid pre-installation of all subsea infrastructure, enabling floating wind turbines to be installed more efficiently and safely with ‘plug and play’ simplicity.

Modelling studies, supported by Scottish Enterprise and key developers, estimate that Squid could half the installation time, when compared to traditional methods. “This faster assembly, combined with the benefits of increased weather windows and ‘tow to port’ maintenance strategies, means Squid can save developers £1Bn per GW,” the company claims.

ABS completed a detailed review of the SQUID system against class and industry requirements for floating offshore wind applications. The PDA follows SQUID’s AIP certification received seven months ago and represents the next step in the qualification pathway towards Technology Readiness Level assessment and commercial adoption.

A series of onshore demonstrations are scheduled for July 2026 at the Aurora Energy Services (AES) facility in Huntly, followed by inshore wet testing and customer demonstrations at Ardersier, in August.

Encomara was founded in 2023 by four industry stalwarts, including the original patent holder Malcolm Bowie, each with more than 30 years’ energy sector experience, and was acquired by AES in 2025.

Encomara managing director Ian Donald said, “The SQUID system allows pre-installation of moorings and cables followed by rapid hook up of floating wind turbines, reducing risk and potentially doubling the number of turbines that can be installed in a typical season, which tackles a key constraint in GW-scale floating wind completion.

“Moving into live testing is the next significant step. We developed this technology in Scotland, and we are building and qualifying it in Scotland. The ambition is for it to be operating in floating wind projects across the world.”

SQUID is supported by Scottish Enterprise and the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership and patents are secured across Europe, Asia and Australia.

AES’ Huntly facility has been identified as a potential site for high-volume manufacturing as the technology scales towards commercial deployment.