High voltage subsea connections for resilient renewable offshore grids

Background: Tapping into Norwegian offshore territories for clean offshore wind power requires the massive deployment of subsea power transmission infrastructure to reliably transport the energy to shore with minimum losses.  Project goals: To develop new materials and designs for offshore power grid components which are at the highest risk for failure: namely cable terminations and subsea connectors.  To significantly increase the breakdown strength and lifetime of cable connectors and terminations by essentially controlling and increasing the interfacial pressure between the components using a new design principle and tailor-made materials. This will, in addition, facilitate higher voltage ratings (> 66 kV) without significant increase in cost, areal or environmental footprint of the infrastructure, a prerequisite for future cost-competitive subsea grids. Responsible organisation: SINTEF Energy Research Project leader: Emre Kantar Project period: 2023-2027 Project type: Knowledge-building Project for Industry Public financing: 12 mill. NOK Web-page: https://www.sintef.no/en/projects/2023/seaconnect_high_voltage_subsea_connections_for_resilient_renewable_offshore_grids/ Project number: 336512

Norway and Europe are currently faced with high energy costs and increasing demands combined with an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions while securing a reliable energy supply. Europe is anticipated to have 32% (640 GW) of the global offshore wind capacity by 2050, much of which will be deployed in the North Sea. Norwegian offshore territories may in the future provide a considerable proportion of this clean offshore wind power. Tapping into this potential requires the massive deployment of offshore (subsea) power transmission infrastructure to reliably transport the energy to shore with minimum losses. However, subsea power transmission, as well as the reduction of carbon emissions from existing offshore (oil and gas) facilities through electrification, are hampered by high technology costs and sub-optimal efficiencies in high voltage offshore components, such as large subsea transformers, power cables including terminations, and dry- and wet-mate connectors. SeaConnect will build knowledge and competence to support the large-scale deployment of the North Sea grid, by developing new materials and designs for offshore power grid components which are at the highest risk for failure: namely cable terminations and subsea connectors. The main idea is to significantly increase the breakdown strength and lifetime of cable connectors and terminations by essentially controlling and increasing the interfacial pressure between the components using a new design principle and tailor-made materials. This will in addition facilitate higher voltage ratings without significant increase in cost, areal or environmental footprint of the infrastructure, a prerequisite for future cost-competitive subsea grids.