Minimizing costs and waste in offshore cable maintenance 

When it comes to repairing submarine cables, cable owners and operators face significant challenges. Downtime can result in substantial economic losses and environmental impact - think of offshore wind farms relying on these cables for electricity export. Swiftly restoring the cable to service is crucial.

While cable operators can source external elements like cable repair vessels and jointers among others through service agreements with suppliers, providing spare cables and joints falls within their own purview. These spare components, typically delivered with the original cable project, include sensitive electrical, fiber optic, and mechanical parts. While spare cables can be stored for extended periods in low-maintenance storage baskets, the more delicate components require protection from external influences, regular inspections, and timely replacement upon expiration or damage.

Due to limited interoperability, many operators must maintain spares for each system in their portfolio, regardless of cable length or the likelihood of failure. This results in excessive capital tied up in stock, high warehousing costs, ongoing maintenance expenses, and unnecessary waste from unused parts.

Efforts to make joint designs interoperable with various cable types could alleviate these challenges. By adopting a common base for joints, operators could reduce inventory, minimize waste, and achieve cost savings. Such an approach would benefit the entire industry, promoting efficiency and sustainability.

In summary, finding a balance between system-specific needs and broader interoperability is essential. Let's explore solutions that optimize offshore grid infrastructure while minimizing costs and environmental impact.

This article was originally published in the June 2024 issue of the Transformers Technology magazine, which you can access here.