Session: 04-01-05 Flexible Pipes and Umbilicals V

Paper Number: 80172

80172 - New Design Methods for Subsea Power Cables Are Helping the Global Marine Renewable Energy Industry Lower Costs and Improve Reliability 

Over the past 6 years, novel research has been undertaken at The University of Western Australia's Oceans Graduate School to transform the design methods used to analyse the on-bottom stability of subsea power cables. These cables form the vital connection enabling renewable energy to be reliably and cost-effectively transported from the source to the consumer - whether the collection device at the end of the line is wave, tidal, fixed or floating wind. These novel design methods are equally applicable to umbilicals and other small diameter pipelines. Existing oil and gas pipeline codes miss much of the physics that is relevant to small diameter pipes and cables, hence the new research has unlocked significant improvements through new laboratory, numerical and field observational analysis and modelling. The results of this research are presently being incorporated into new design guidance, including the draft British Standards Institute BS 10009 being developed under PEL 114 technical committee guidance.

This paper provides a summary of the research together with observations and lessons learnt in the application of these new design methods to over 6GW of new offshore wind and other renewable energy cables. Given that as at 2020 the global grid-connected total offshore wind capacity was 35GW, this contribution demonstrates a level of field validation and relavitve importance and transformative potential of these research outcomes.

Presenting Author: Terry Griffiths The University of Western Australia

Authors:

Terry Griffiths The University of Western Australia
Scott Draper The University of Western Australia
Liang Cheng The University of Western Australia
Hongwei An The University of Western Australia
Marie-Lise Schläppy The University of Western Australia
Feifei Tong The University of Western Australia
Antonino Fogliani The University of Western Australia
Wacek Lipski Palisade Integrated Management Services
Chas Spradbery Peritus International
Yunfei Teng Dalian University of Technology
David White University of Southampton
Daniel Coles University of Plymouth
Stuart Noble Sealip Engineering
Siobhan Doole JDR Cable Systems
Fraser Johnson Simec Atlantis