Training course: Submarine power cable

Introduction

Submarine power cables are used for the interconnection of offshore installations, such as production platforms in the oil & gas sector or a substation platform in the offshore wind sector, to the mainland grids.

Recent years have seen a significant increase in the use, length and capacity of submarine power cables in various sectors. In the offshore wind sector, for example, an important driver behind this increase is the transition to renewable energy resources. Any failure in such a submarine cable has a huge impact. Repair costs are immense due to the inaccessible locations and specialised resources required.

Meanwhile, the need to wait for favourable weather means service downtime can run into months, causing severe production loss and reputation damage.

Although the cables account for just a small percentage of the total investments in the required equipment, the potential failure-related costs mean that investors want to mitigate risks. Despite the existence of various standards, guidelines and recommendations, there is no overall quality standard for the cabling process from start to finish. Using the offshore wind sector once again as an example, facets such as turbines are covered but not the cables, which currently account for the major part in insurance pay-outs on offshore wind farms.

The design, manufacturing, testing, installation and commissioning of a submarine cable thus needs to be carefully implemented, including quality assurance and quality control in each phase.

This three day course will address and highlight the entire submarine cable life cycle, providing participants with a holistic view and sound understanding of submarine power cables and their accessories.

Your benefits

■ An understanding of the parameters which differentiate submarine cables from land underground cables

■ An understanding of the most important parameters during the design and commissioning of submarine cables

■ Knowledge of the methods to mitigate the possibility of failures

■ Insight into how to develop your set of requirements, methods and techniques.

For whom?

This course is designed for parties with an interest in improving the quality of submarine cables, including: cable manufacturers, cable installers, offshore energy project developers, TSOs and DSOs, energy utilities, energy project investors and insurance companies. 

Course topics

The following topics will be addressed:

• Introduction
  - General introduction
  - Applications of submarine cables
  - Health, safety and environment
• Marine survey
  - Cable route study
  - Cable route survey
  - Specialist surveys
• Cable system design parameters
  - Topology
  - Array and export cables
  - AC vs. DC
  - Insulation coordination
  - Earthing/bonding system
  - System reliability considerations
  - Magnetic fields
  - Installation design
  - Reactive compensation
• Cable design parameters
  - Difference with land cable design (dry vs. wet)
  - Thermal and mechanical properties
  - Optical fibre
  - Cable design
  - Short circuit consideration
  - Current ratings
• Cable accessories
  - Joint design
  - Termination design
  - T-connectors
• Cable installation
  - Installation types
  - Installation procedures
  - Crossing of other infrastructures
• Quality assurance and quality control, inspections and testing
  - QA/QC throughout the submarine cable system life
  - Combination of Cigré guidelines and IEC standards and other norms/recommendations
  - Electrical and mechanical testing
• Maintenance and failure investigation
  - Maintenance
  - Condition assessments

Practical information

For the following items, please refer to the registration form:

• Course dates
• Venue details
• Registration fee
• Payment and cancellation conditions

The training and all course materials will be in English. To encourage active participation, the number of participants is limited to 20. Click here for more information and to register for the upcoming course.

In-company and customised training courses

On request, DNV can also develop customized and in-company training courses. Content, location and duration of the course can be adapted to your specific needs.

For more information please contact us

Energy Academy
email: academy.energy@dnv.com
web: www.dnv.com/energy-academy
tel: +31 (0)6 29602659 / +31 (0)6 15063593 / +31 (0)6 18410601

A few responses from previous participants

• ‘‘I would describe the course as a comprehensive review of all stages of the submarine cable life cycle from early feasibility to decommissioning delivered by industry experts.’’ - John Leahy, ESB
• ‘‘Fruitful course and valuable.’’ - Yuantao Zhao, Ningbo Orient Wires & Cables Co.,Ltd.
• ‘‘The submarine power cables training program was well organised, great content gathered and presented by experienced and knowledgeable experts.’’ - Cagatay Aygar, Vos Prodect Innovations B.V.
• ‘‘Interesting dive into the world of submarine power cables.’’ - Bart Mellink, DEME Offshore