Cable study published following Orkney research

The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and The Crown Estate have published a report on the performance of sub-sea cabling in high energy environments, to support the development of commercial wave and tidal energy sites.

The key aim of the Sub-sea Cable Lifecycle Study is to improve the industry’s understanding of how best to specify and manage subsea cables for wave and tidal energy projects, by investigating how the cables installed at the EMEC test sites in Orkney have been performing since installation.

The report, available to download from The Crown Estate’s website, provides a summary of the review to inform the marine renewable energy industry on factors affecting the integrity and performance of sub-sea cables.

With its first cables installed over 10 years ago, EMEC has collected considerable amounts of data with numerous routine remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and inshore dive surveys undertaken to examine structural integrity, alongside comprehensive electrical cable testing.

During the study, this data was reviewed in relation to installation methods, faults, and operational life of the cables.

The study found that the sub-sea cables installed at the EMEC test sites appear to be in extremely good condition considering the environment in which they are deployed.