UK-headquartered subsea power specialist Verlume and German marine technology company SubCtech are pooling resources to develop and deliver integrated subsea power solutions for offshore energy and defense applications.
Verlume and SubCtech have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development and delivery of integrated subsea power solutions, building on an established working relationship between the two companies and formalizing a shared commitment to deepen the partnership and pursue new commercial opportunities across the offshore energy and defense sectors.
The MoU brings together two complementary areas of expertise by combining Verlume’s field-proven subsea power platform and intelligent systems integration capability with SubCtech’s established expertise in the development and production of high-performance battery systems for demanding maritime and subsea environments.
At the heart of the UK firm’s technology platform is Axonn, described as its intelligent control and orchestration layer, which integrates power, communications and control within a unified architecture, autonomously managing how power is generated, stored, distributed and consumed across a subsea system.
SubCtech’s battery technology and established manufacturing capability can be integrated within this wider architecture through collaboration, creating greater flexibility in how subsea power systems are configured to meet individual project requirements.
David Clark , Chief Executive Officer at Verlume, commented: “The next generation of subsea infrastructure will require more than individual pieces of equipment. Persistent offshore operations increasingly require power, energy storage, communications and control to operate as one integrated system.
“By working more closely with SubCtech, we can broaden the solutions available to our customers while retaining the intelligent, integrated approach that sits at the heart of Verlume’s technology. This gives us greater flexibility to configure subsea power systems around the specific operational and technical requirements of each project.”
SubCtech, with significant experience in the design and production of rechargeable lithium-ion battery systems for offshore and subsea applications, can also draw on complementary maritime and subsea technology capabilities as part of the wider Gabler Group, such as underwater communications and monitoring expertise.
Verlume and SubCtech’s collaboration aims to combine energy storage hardware with intelligent power management, communications, controls and end-to-end systems engineering to provide clients with a unified subsea power solution that reduces integration complexity, strengthens system reliability and enables dependable, long-term subsea operations.
The companies intend to work together at a system level, rather than approaching subsea energy storage as a standalone component, ensuring battery technology can be seamlessly integrated with the end user’s subsea equipment to provide a single integrated approach to the engineering and management of critical system interfaces for the client, reducing integration complexity and ensuring individual technologies operate effectively as part of the wider subsea architecture.
Clark added: “Importantly, this is not simply a technology alignment. We are already working together on applications, while developing further opportunities across offshore energy and defense. The MoU provides the framework to build on that activity and take integrated solutions into the market at greater scale.”
The partnership is making offshore oil and gas a particular focus area, where operators increasingly seek reliable, integrated power solutions to support ageing subsea infrastructure, extended field life and more autonomous operations.
Stefan Marx , Chief Technology Officer at SubCtech, remarked: “Verlume and SubCtech have highly complementary capabilities. By combining our experience in advanced battery technology and production with Verlume’s subsea power platform, Axonn technology and systems integration expertise, we see a strong opportunity to provide customers with flexible, reliable and fully integrated solutions for demanding subsea applications.
“The partnership also allows both organisations to build on their respective experience across offshore energy, maritime and defense markets as requirements for reliable and persistent subsea power continue to grow globally.”