Kinewell lands offshore wind software deals with TEPCO & MPS

Kinewell has signed software contracts with TEPCO Renewable Power and Marine Power Systems, extending the use of its ForeCoast Marine platform in offshore wind development.

The agreements cover two companies active in different parts of the offshore wind market. TEPCO Renewable Power is part of one of Japan's largest energy groups, while Marine Power Systems develops floating offshore wind platform systems for deepwater sites.

Kinewell, a UK software company focused on offshore wind and other low-carbon technologies, acquired ForeCoast Marine earlier this year. The software models marine operations and broader offshore campaign planning using historical metocean data and operational constraints.

This allows project teams to test how installation work and other offshore activity might have performed across previous seasons. Developers and contractors can use the analysis to assess schedule risk, compare offshore methodologies, and examine the likely effects on project timing and cost.

The contracts reflect continued demand for digital planning tools in offshore wind, where vessel availability, weather windows and construction sequencing can have a major effect on project economics. Developers are under pressure to control costs and improve certainty as projects move into deeper waters and more complex construction environments.

Tony Appleton, chief commercial officer at Kinewell, said the agreements formed part of the company's work with offshore wind clients.

"We are thrilled to have entered into strategic partnerships with MPS and TEPCO RP for the deployment of the ForeCoast Marine software.

"Both organisations work on incredibly complex, high-value projects where precision, quality and schedule discipline are crucial to success, and ForeCoast Marine will provide their teams with the tools and advice required to make the most informed, evidence-based decisions.

"We look forward to working with them to realise their investment ambitions and further support the global transition to green energy," he said.

Japanese expansion

TEPCO Renewable Power will use the software to refine offshore construction scheduling. The company took over the parent group's renewable energy business in 2020 and was established as a standalone business focused on renewable power.

TEPCO Holdings has set out ambitions to increase the share of electricity it generates from carbon-free sources over the coming decade. Offshore wind is part of that shift, both in Japan and in overseas markets where utilities are seeking new generation capacity and broader technology portfolios.

Ryunosuke Naito at TEPCO RP said: "We use ForeCoast Marine as part of our efforts to optimise offshore construction schedules, enabling us to analyse even complex construction sequences. As a result, we can efficiently evaluate offshore installation cycles that have a significant cost impact and are critical to project success, greatly improving the clarity of schedule assessments for both ongoing and new projects."

Floating wind

Marine Power Systems has been using ForeCoast as part of its development work on deepwater offshore wind platform systems. Floating wind developers are placing increasing emphasis on installation methods and marine logistics as they try to reduce costs and prove commercial routes for projects beyond the reach of fixed-bottom foundations.

The software has been used to assess the relative merits of different offshore operations methodologies, including how early-stage engineering choices could affect later installation campaigns.

Dr Stephen Norris, operations director at Marine Power Systems, said: "Using ForeCoast has allowed us to gain feedback regarding the likely impact on marine operations at an early stage in the development process, bringing forward these critical insights. More recently we have used ForeCoast to assist developers to understand the improvements in overall project timescales and costs using our technology, which has been incredibly helpful for both parties."

Wider market

Kinewell said ForeCoast Marine complements the software products it has developed over the past decade for offshore wind developers. The company argues that planning and cost-optimisation tools are becoming more important as the industry seeks to expand global installed capacity while dealing with cost inflation, supply chain constraints and more challenging site conditions.

The wider offshore wind sector has increasingly turned to simulation and data-led planning to reduce uncertainty before construction begins. For companies involved in development, procurement and installation, the value of such software lies in testing assumptions earlier and avoiding costly changes once offshore work is under way.

Kinewell has also attracted investor backing in the North East and received recognition for its international trade activity. The latest contracts, however, focus on a narrower commercial question: whether better modelling of weather risk, vessel use and construction sequences can help developers make projects more predictable.

As TEPCO Renewable Power put it, the software is helping to "greatly improve the clarity of schedule assessments for both ongoing and new projects".