developing a prototype of the E-buoy. Verification model tests have recently been performed by MARIN. In 2023, the prototypes of the E-Buoy and electric cable will be installed in Dutch coastal waters and the mechanical functionality and approach operations will be evaluated.
CABLE JIP The CABLE JIP is an ongoing research project of MARIN, TKF and Bluewater, aiming to de-risk the use of subsea inter-array power cables in offshore wind farms and to develop more robust solutions. Inter-array cables are a key component of a wind farm, bringing the energy from the turbines to the substation. Typically, a string of 5 to 10 large wind turbines of 8 MW each are interconnected and 5 to 10 of these strings come together at the central substation. The inter-array cables transfer alternating current at a voltage of 66 kV. To further transport the electric energy to shore, it is transformed to voltages up to 225 kV at the substation and transported by high voltage cables to the shore.
Preventing cable damage Where most of the cable is buried beneath the seabed to protect it against trawl fishing, anchoring and other activities, there is also often a short length which is free hanging, for instance between the lower end of the monopile and the first location where the cable dives into the trench. This free hanging part is particularly exposed to the elements, making it especially vulnerable. For floating offshore renewable solutions, the free hanging dynamic part is much longer, depending on the water depth.
Moreover, this cabling has to follow the motions of the floating installations, which makes the design much more complex. When wind turbines are placed on a floating structure they make large excursions when facing big waves, high currents or strong winds. Therefore, the cable has to be able to handle these large excursions to prevent it from being pulled away from its anchor (where the cable enters its trench in the seabed).
Offshore installation of TKF 33 kV subsea inter-array cable for the Hohe See wind farm in the German North Sea, approximately 95 kilometres North of Borkum. The offshore wind farm installation project in 2018 covers 71 turbines in an area of around 40 square kilometres with water depths up to 40 m. The wind park has a capacity of 497 MW and a total of 52 km subsea cables was installed.
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