DNV’s own investigations show HVDC is the most cost-effective option for transporting electricity over distances exceeding 600 km. And technical developments will reduce this distance to 400 km soon. Moreover, HVDC allows greater use of digital and information technologies to generate and share data for real-time control of the energy supply. But with this potential comes increased complexity and the threat of cyber-attacks, making risk management both more important and more challenging.

So how do you manage risk and ensure success in an HVDC project?

The approach: risk-based verification
As a leading global partner to the transmission and distribution (T&D) sector, DNV combines technical, economic and risk know-how into one integrated approach: risk-based verification (RBV). The approach has been refined and proven over 45 years in the T&D sector and in industries such as oil and gas.

Risk-based verification helps you:

• Identify risks
• Assess their likelihood and potential impact
• Determine which risks can be avoided
• Develop mitigation measures
• Focus verification effort and spending where it is most needed

Combined with our worldwide reputation for quality and impartiality, it gives you:

• Independent assurance your project meets pre-defined requirements
• A clear path to reduce risk from project planning to operation
• Increased confidence for stakeholders such as regulators and investors

Solutions
We offer a comprehensive range of risk-based verification services for HVDC projects. You can call on our support at any stage: from feasibility and planning through to operation.

Technical scheme analysis
Project success depends on making the right choices from the start. Through technical scheme analysis, we support you in all the technical aspects of selecting and qualifying cables, converters and other components.  In the early stages this involves reviewing project specifications, identifying promising technologies, evaluating infrastructure interference and estimating budgets. We then help you assess technical offers and verify candidates against your specifications, allowing you to select the right technologies, components and suppliers.

In short, working closely with your own engineers, we have in place the best technologies and implementations for your specific needs. This helps minimize risk and speed up investor decisions, tendering and project delivery.

HVDC testing
With the right technologies and components chosen, the next step in reducing risk is to ensure they work correctly – both individually and together. Our KEMA Laboratories have 90 years’ experience in testing and certifying T&D components, and the expertise to help you understand test results to speed development. Moreover, our dedicated HVDC lab in Arnhem, the Netherlands, specializes in the testing and prequalification of HVDC cables rated up to 320 kV. You can also call on us for impartial and trusted witnessing of factory, harbour and site acceptance tests (FATs, HATs and SATs). And our power system verification services assess the operation of your project as a whole – so all (prospective) stakeholders can be sure it will be fit for purpose.

Stakeholder management
Effective communication between (prospective) stakeholders is essential to a successful outcome of any project – especially for a project as complex as delivering an HVDC system. As the largest global independent energy expert, we can manage the interaction between all stakeholders including governments, regulators, financiers, investors, manufacturers and (sub)contractors. This helps ensure your project meets all the necessary regulations and is delivered on time, on specification and on budget.