Design verification and quality assurance

DNV provides quality assurance and quality control reviews from conceptual design to final commissioning of power transmission and distribution projects.

In any large electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) project, independent quality assurance and quality control reviews are key to ensuring that technical requirements are met. Thorough evaluations in the early phases of a project are particularly important. They avoid problems later on, while helping you achieve optimal quality, reliability, safety, and on-time execution.

As impartial specialists, DNV can deliver these vital reviews throughout your project. In the early phases, these cover conceptual design, specification, pre-qualification, tendering and bid evaluation through to detailed design. And as the project progresses, we act as an independent guardian of the quality of the delivery (systems, products and installation) during manufacturing, installation and commissioning.

Clear reviews and specific recommendations
With our support, all parties can gain a clear, mutual understanding of the technical requirements. We can verify proposed technical solutions at the start of a project and assess whether these have been properly realised at the end. So you have an objective evaluation of whether contractors have met the agreed performance levels for the quality of the work, its timeliness and cost. 

Importantly, our experts can advise you on acceptability, replacement or repair when quality or performance falls below contractually agreed levels. This allows you to take decisions on whether or not to accept quality defects based on a sound technical risk analysis.

Comprehensive services in all types of project
Our experts have experience in quality assurance and quality control for all types of technical project in the T&D sector, including HVAC and HVDC, overhead lines, cables, substations, and submarine cables and installations.

Specifically, our quality assurance and quality control reviews cover:

• Specification
  • independent review on contents, consistency,  lessons learned and completeness
• Pre-qualification
  • assessment of standard work procedures
  • assessment of supplier’s experience
• Tendering
  • definition of functional requirements (FR)
  • definition of responsibilities for FR
  • definition of situation when problems are encountered
  • bid evaluation on contents: check whether FR can be met
  • validity check on PQ and type tests
• Design
  • design review
  • solving design issues
  • check whether FR are met
• Manufacturing
  • review of test and inspection plans
  • quality plans
  • mitigation of manufacturing issues
  • witnessing and performing tests on assets
  • check whether FR are tested
• Execution / installation
  • review work plans
  • check whether execution is performed according to work plans
  • check whether FR are being met
• Commissioning
  • check whether FR can be demonstrably met
  • witness SAT testing.

DNV can also perform type tests (leading to certification) and acceptance tests which provide an objective overview of components, and whether they deviate from specific requirements and applicable standards. Inspection reports give similar objective assessments during production and execution of works.