AC & DC
modelled quickly
Circuits
flexible circuit configurations
Visual
outputs
interactive, easy to compare
Down-select
export systems
KDOTS is a powerful offshore wind transmission system optimisation software that rapidly evaluates electrical, hydrogen and hybrid export options to identify technically feasible and economically evaluated solutions.
Using advanced mathematics, KDOTS automates time-consuming analysis, enabling engineering teams to compare complex transmission configurations, model uncertainty and make faster, more informed decisions from early-stage feasibility through to pre-FEED design.
Interactive visual outputs make it easy to compare configurations, understand trade-offs and communicate findings with project stakeholders.
Why KDOTS?
Accelerate timelines
Generate and compare export system concepts in a fraction of the time manual studies take.
Reduce costs
Identify cost-optimised export architectures and understand the key cost drivers shaping each option.
Reduce project risk
Model uncertainty in cable failure rates, energy values and costs to make risk-aware decisions before committing to detailed design.
Developed with leading research partners
KDOTS was developed by Kinewell in collaboration with Durham University and ORE Catapult, combining academic research into decision-making under uncertainty with Kinewell’s offshore wind engineering expertise. This means KDOTS reflects real project constraints and practical export system design considerations, not a purely theoretical model.
KDOTS has also been applied through the HyCoRe programme, delivered with ORE Catapult on behalf of Northern Gas Networks and funded by Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund, exploring the integration of offshore wind and hydrogen production.
Who is it for?
Offshore wind developers
Seabed owners
Consultants
Transmission planners
Use KDOTS in-house or work with our experts
KDOTS is available through Kinewell’s web-based platform, giving engineering and development teams direct access to export system design and comparison within their own workflows.
When additional expertise or capacity is needed, Kinewell can apply KDOTS through our offshore wind engineering consultancy services. Our team can support your engineers with early-stage feasibility studies, investigate design options, benchmark existing solutions or provide additional capacity during busy project periods.
This gives you the flexibility to use KDOTS independently when you have the capability in-house, or draw on Kinewell’s optimisation and engineering expertise when you need additional support.
Key features
All features
Export system design & optimisation
 Rapid Export System Design |
Generate and assess large numbers of feasible export system concepts in minutes rather than weeks, enabling teams to explore a much wider design space during early-stage development. |
| Early-Stage Screening |
Quickly identify and down-select promising export system architectures before committing significant engineering effort, helping teams focus detailed studies on the highest-value options. |
| Automated Option Generation |
Systematically evaluate alternative transmission configurations that may be overlooked through traditional manual design approaches. |
| HVAC Export Systems |
Model conventional high-voltage AC export systems, including offshore substations, export cables and grid connection infrastructure. |
| HVDC Export Systems |
Assess high-voltage DC transmission solutions for projects where longer export distances or larger capacities may justify HVDC deployment. |
| Offshore Substation Configuration Analysis |
Evaluate different offshore substation strategies, including sizing and platform requirements. |
| Whole-System Cost Optimisation |
Optimise across the entire export system rather than individual components in isolation. |
| Metric Ranking of concepts: CAPEX, lifetime value, LCoE |
Automatically rank feasible solutions according to project objectives and economic performance:
|
Hydrogen & hybrid energy systems
| Hydrogen Export System Design |
Design offshore energy systems that transport energy as hydrogen rather than electricity, and compare against electrical only systems |
| Offshore Electrolyser Placement Optimisation |
Assess the optimal location of electrolysis facilities across offshore and onshore infrastructure configurations. |
| Hybrid Energy Export Concepts |
Model and compare novel systems that combine electrical transmission and hydrogen production to identify the most economic project configuration. |
Risk & uncertainty analysis
 Uncertainty-Aware Design |
Move beyond deterministic design approaches by explicitly accounting for uncertainty within economic and technical assessments. This enables risk-informed descision making to align with organisation’s risk appetite. |
| Sensitivity Analysis |
Quantify how changes in key project data influence export system selection by modelling integrated upper and lower bounds for each technology. Assess design resilience under varying market, regulatory, technology and cost assumptions. |
Scenario management & decision support
| What-If Analysis |
Quickly test the impact of changing project assumptions and constraints. |
| Development Pathway Exploration |
Understand how export system choices may evolve as project information becomes more certain. |
Productivity & workflow benefits
| Accelerated Front-End Engineering |
Reduce the time required to develop and evaluate export system concepts. |
| Increased Design Coverage |
Assess hundreds of potential configurations that would be impractical to evaluate manually. |
| Reduced Engineering Effort |
Automate repetitive comparative studies, allowing engineering teams to focus on detailed design and decision-making. |
| Improved Stakeholder Alignment |
Provide a consistent evidence base for developers, investors, consultants and project partners. |
| Web-Based SaaS Platform |
Access KDOTS through Kinewell’s cloud-based optimisation platform without requiring specialist software deployment. |
Use KDOTS to
Optimise your transmission design
Evaluate platform configurations, landfall points and connection options
Optimise across the whole export system rather than individual components in isolation
Rank feasible solutions against CAPEX, lifetime value and LCOE
Understand your options
Understand export system sensitivities to changing market conditions, such as cable prices, energy values and interest rates
Understand the key cost drivers shaping each export architecture
Model project uncertainties to make better-informed decisions despite many unknowns
Explore export system configurations
Compare electrical, hydrogen and hybrid export systems
Explore configurations such as HVAC vs HVDC
Model hydrogen and hybrid electricity and hydrogen export topologies
Plan early-stage feasibility
Complete early-stage transmission system feasibility studies, such as HVAC vs HVDC, or two vs three platforms
Identify onshore connections and landfall points
Assess grid code compliance
Develop your project design
Narrow down options to inform FEED scope
Take feasible concepts through to FEED studies to finalise project designs
Understand how export system choices may evolve as project information becomes more certain
Flexible ways to use KDOTS
Whether you want to build optimisation capability in-house, access our expertise or develop something tailored to your needs, KDOTS can be delivered in the way that works best for your organisation.
Use it
Build optimisation capability in-house
Bring KDOTS in-house with flexible licence options to suit your project requirements. Choose short-term or long-term access, with full training and ongoing support from our team, so you can make the most of KDOTS within your own workflows.
Contact us to book your free discovery call.
Integrate it
Connect KDOTS with your existing tools and workflows.
Integrate KDOTS with your existing systems, data and processes through APIs, making advanced optimisation part of your wider engineering and design workflows.
Contact us to book your free discovery call.
Solve it
Access KDOTS through Kinewell consultancy.
Let Kinewell apply KDOTS and our offshore wind optimisation expertise to your challenge. We can carry out optimisation studies, investigate design options, benchmark existing solutions or support your engineering team with complex project decisions.
Learn more about our Consultancy Services.
Build it
Build on KDOTS technology.
We can use KDOTS underlying algorithms and optimisation technology to create solutions tailored to your requirements. We can adapt existing capabilities, add new modules and functionality, or develop entirely new applications to address specific challenges and workflows.
Explore what’s possible with custom development.