autumn - winter 2014 | issue 4 making the switch · 2016-11-25 · autumn - winter 2014 | issue 4...

ore.catapult.org.uk @ORECatapult

Autumn - Winter 2014 | Issue 4

Making The SwitchIn this issue

Switching Power33kV or 66kV?

Tekmar EnergyCable protection demonstrations

Project SnapshotsKnowledge - Collaboration - Innovation

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Circuit Autumn / Winter 2014 | Issue 4


Cable Systems Independent, accredited certifi cation partner for submarine cables and accessories.

DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT

ACCELERATED LIFETIME AND PREQUALIFICATION TESTING

STEP BREAKDOWN UP TO 600kV

MECHANICAL TESTING

TYPE TESTING

JOINT INDUSTRY PROGRAMMES

Circuit Autumn / Winter 2014 | Issue 4 3

04

Welcome

Contents 04 Driving innovation and knowledgeOutlining the direction of industry innovation in the UK

06 Switching powerOvercoming the barriers to 66kV

10 Cable protection system developmentProject case study from Tekmar Energy

12 Project snapshotsOverview of ORE Catapult R&D project collaborations

14 News Round-upThe latest developments and project updates

Welcome to the fi rst edition of Circuit following the merger of the National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) with the Off shore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, creating a national champion for the development and cost reduction of off shore renewable energy.

A vibrant and growing offshore renewable energy sector represents huge potential economic value to the UK. The key to unlocking that value is to drive down costs and drive forward technology innovation and industry collaboration, and I believe this is where ORE Catapult can make a real difference. We are driving forward industry research and development, and encouraging the sharing of knowledge and best practice. We bring together industry, the public sector and academia to identify

the major challenges to the development of more affordable energy from our offshore renewable energy resources, sharing and focusing the best research in the fi eld and providing clear direction for the innovation effort to address them.

Technology innovation in the sector is vital, recognising that collaboration as well as competition is pivotal to driving down industry costs and creating a long-term, investable industry with government and public support. But innovation isn’t just about inventing new technologies – it’s also about using existing technologies and methodologies more smartly, solving the technology challenges facing industry today and supporting the supply chain to gain access to the market with products that are fi t for purpose. We’re also looking to drive cross-industry collaboration and so we’re working closely with other Catapults, such as Satellite Applications to see how satellite technology can benefi t offshore renewables, whether it be through better understanding of

weather patterns, monitoring the movement of turbine foundations or even counting basking sharks.

In this edition of Circuit, we’ll look at the Catapult’s progress in identifying these industry technology priority areas, and the innovation programmes and research and development activities that are helping to address them.

Ultimately, we want to de-risk technology development and minimise costs in order to create a sustainable industry that will attract future investment and deliver huge economic and social benefi ts, realising the enormous opportunity presented by the UK’s offshore renewable energy resources.

Andrew Jamieson, CEO

06 10

For further information, or to request paper copies of Circuit contact: Helen Coatsworth, Marketing Manager, on Tel: 01670 357 602 or Email: [email protected]

Cover image courtesy of JDR - Power cable in carousel at the JDR manufacturing facility in Hartlepool.

Driving innovation and knowledge The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and the National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) merged in April this year, forming the UK’s fl agship technology innovation and research centre for offshore wind, wave and tidal energy. As such, we are uniquely placed to address the innovation challenges faced by the offshore renewable energy sector, helping to drive down costs and realise the enormous economic and social benefi ts presented by the UK’s offshore renewable energy resources.

Control room inside Catapult Blyth’s 50m blade test facility

Circuit Autumn / Winter 2014 | Issue 44 Circuit Autumn / Winter 2014 | Issue 4 5

Update

We act as a translator between research activity and industry, with our work shaped by working in partnership with key government agencies, leading academic institutions and innovative companies to proactively drive innovation, promote knowledge sharing and bring down costs.

Project and programme proposals come from a wide range of sources. Our Industry Advisory Group and Research Advisory Group, made up of senior representation from across industry and the country’s leading universities respectively, are helping us to identify the major challenges to the development of more affordable energy from our offshore renewable energy resources; sharing and focusing the best research in the fi eld and providing clear direction for the innovation effort to address them. We are already working with industry on a day to day basis through projects such as the Marine Farm Accelerator and SPARTA, which is helping to shape and inform our future direction.

We are focusing our innovation activity on seven areas that we believe the industry must focus on to drive down the levelised cost of energy and provide economic benefi t to the UK. The ‘Knowledge Areas’ – blades, drive trains, electrical infrastructure, wind & ocean conditions, foundations

& substructures, installation & decommissioning, operations & maintenance – represent the key building blocks of the technology development journey that the industry has to go on, and form the foundation for a successful, cost effective offshore wind, wave and tidal industry.

Within each of the ‘Knowledge Areas’ we are building deep technical expertise through initiating research projects, collaborating with others through innovation programmes, and issuing innovation challenges to industry, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).Our testing and demonstration assets, such as blades, drive trains and electrical systems, help to provide a value-added service and create a more attractive proposition for industry. All this activity helps to support our ambition to achieve a balanced funding model with equal revenue from our core Government grant, private revenue, and other public funding.

Dr Stephen Wyatt, Strategy & Commercialisation Director for ORE Catapult, said: “The Catapult aims to be a ‘one stop shop’ that integrates offshore renewable energy testing facilities with company-wide excellence in research, knowledge creation, and innovative programme development. This allows us to offer a clear technology pathway

from research to demonstration and deployment and create an enduring knowledge base for the industry through our innovation challenges. We will provide industry with access to innovators and the technology breakthroughs that will help them solve immediate challenges and help drive offshore wind down the cost curve.”

ORE Catapult is helping to set the direction for industry innovation in the UK. We’re pulling together the right technical expertise with the right portfolio of innovation programmes and tying that to the UK’s world-leading testing assets. We recognise that to make a successful industry for the UK, we have to be accessing the best expertise and facilities on a global scale. We’re undertaking cross-border collaboration and extending our reach into the EU agenda through the Horizon2020 programme, collaborating with leading research houses and multinational companies to lead research on an international scale.

We will guide promising technologies along a development path to de-risk early stage innovations, clear a path to commercialisation and accelerate cost reduction, delivering abundant, affordable energy for the UK from offshore wind, wave and tide.

Technology, Innovation and R&D

ORE Catapult combines world-class research, development, demonstration and testing facilities at its National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth with leadership, industrial reach and engineering expertise to accelerate the design, deployment and commercialisation of renewable energy technology innovation. Our staff are skilled at designing tests, innovation programmes and projects that off er enhanced, value-added services that are highly attractive to industry and unique in the world.

Switching power

Offshore wind farms have traditionally used 33kV systems for inter-array power distribution and up to 170kV cables for exporting power to shore. More recently, as wind farms have become larger and generator capacity has increased, the case for doubling the inter-array operating voltage to 66kV for these large-scale installations is widely understood and, in theory, compelling. At a time when the renewables industry is under great pressure to prove its economic viability, the higher-voltage route offers signifi cant cost-saving opportunities. In spite of this, the change-over to 66kV has not yet happened.

IHC Merwede’s Hi-Traq Inter-Array Cable Trencher


33kV or 66kV?

Feature

Introduction

Recent studies from organisations such as the Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) have shown that wind turbine generator interconnection at 66kV facilitates lower losses, reduces the need for expensive offshore substations, and requires less offshore equipment - transformers, switchgear and associated items - as well as increasing the power density through the cables and hence resulting in more cost effective cable systems. Transmitting power back to shore at this higher voltage is also a more effi cient and cost effective option.

As offshore developers consider these options, they will naturally seek assurance that all necessary technology is available, certifi ed and with delivery times in line with their project expectations. Their enquiries will soon reveal that their 66kV shopping list cannot be entirely fulfi lled. While some switchgear solutions may be adapted from existing products, the supply chain’s real missing link relates to the subsea cables and their associated services. The consequences of a cable failure would be signifi cant, and suppliers are reluctant to take on such risk without confi dence in the available rewards.

This has introduced a classical ‘chicken and egg’ dilemma

and created the industry’s fundamental barrier to progress. As the OWA states: Developers will not design a 66kV wind farm without the certainty that certifi ed equipment is available to the market, while the supply chain is hesitant to invest in higher voltage equipment without assurance that a market is available.

Initiatives for progress

In addressing this, the OWA project is designed to reduce energy costs by 10% in time for Round 3. Their programme of market-oriented R&D involves nine developers. A key aspect of this programme, the Higher Voltage Engineering Design Study, also identifi ed subsea cables as the underlying cause of the ‘chicken and egg’ barrier. The OWA has acted to remove it by awarding funding to three cable manufacturers – JDR, Nexans and Prysmian – to qualify three different cost-effective cable designs. Both ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ cable technologies are represented.

ORE Catapult is also helping industry to move forward. As one of seven Catapults that share £1.7bn investment, it works with industry, academia, research and government with a technical focus on high voltage insulation, switchgear, power conversion techniques and transmission and distribution (T&D) system optimisation. ORE Catapult’s

UKAS accredited electrical laboratories and marine testing facilities (which includes three dry docks and a simulated seabed) at Blyth’s National Renewable Energy Centre plays an important role allowing developers and manufacturers to type test cables and accessories, conduct product testing and demonstration trials on equipment such as cable protection systems, cable installations and ROVs.

With the clock ticking on achieving renewable energy cost reduction, innovation becomes essential for the required rate of change. 66kV feasibility studies which have been recently carried out for Innovate UK (formally Technology Strategy Board) are needed as priming projects that can break the chicken/egg dilemma; LVRT 66kV certifi cation in an offshore environment is another requirement being investigated.

Industry consensus

While the technical know-how being generated by the ORE Catapult and OWA initiatives is essential to the industry’s progress, it must be supported by relevant guidelines, specifi cations and standards. Some gaps and misalignment exist in these, yet developers and manufacturers alike rely on them to proceed with confi dence into equipment manufacturing and deployment. A relatively fast-

Below, Alex Neumann, Head of HV at ORE Catapult, explains why this is so and looks at how the industry’s various stakeholders are working to overcome the bottlenecks and barriers to widespread acceptance and implementation of 66kV solutions.

Feature

33kV or 66kV?

track route to closing these gaps is offered by CIGRÉ, the Council on Large Electric Systems. In operation since 1921, the organisation has established credibility from existing guidelines and technical brochures. Its membership comprises system operators, developers, suppliers and consultants who participate in developing industry consensus where appropriate.

CIGRÉ has a UK branch which has set up a Shadow Working Group (WG) for establishing a qualifi cation and testing regime for 66kV ‘wet’ cables. Actual and possible activities include prequalifi cation, type and commissioning testing of 66kV cables, mechanical and fatigue studies, and reliability calculations for offshore connections. CIGRÉ UK can provide a convergent industry view on UK-specifi c technical issues; to allow stakeholders to make informed decisions. CIGRÉ are currently looking to develop approved guidelines which are expected to take between six to nine months.

The supply chain’s position

The technical development initiatives, demonstrators and standards generation work underway should be considered alongside the views and current position of the providers within the supply chain. These vary widely according to whether the provider is involved with equipment manufacture, cable manufacture, or cable installation and termination.

Switchgear manufacturers see an increasing role for 66kV as individual turbine capacity grows to over 8MW. There are a variety of prefabricated SF6 gas insulated switchgear alternatives for application at 66kV, some scaled down transmission designs and some scaled up distribution designs. Suppliers aim to gain full compliance to HV rather than MV standards by the end of 2015.

Cable manufacturers are scaling up existing 33kV ‘wet’ designs for 66kV application, rather than using a ‘dry’ design that is typically associated with transmission system cabling applications. Dry cables are already available with insulation operating at higher electrical stresses, but are more demanding to manufacture, with less existing production capacity and fi eld expertise available. Designs utilising either TR XLPE or EPR insulation to insulate the 66kV conductors. TR XLPE is typically used on offshore wind 33kV inter array applications, while EPR has a long-established history in oil and gas applications, facilitating cheaper, smaller and more fl exible cable designs.

While switching to 66kV creates challenges in terms of subsea cable design and manufacture, it also makes new demands related to the cables’ handling and connection into offshore wind turbine generator

Cable test termination


Feature

33kV or 66kV?

(WTG) platforms. HV termination is a skilled job, and poorly implemented connections are likely to fail, while the ensuing costs are higher than for lower-voltage systems. However the expenses of training in terms of both time and money are high, and there is only a limited pool of jointing expertise in the UK. Additionally, there is no industry standard for jointing; a matrix of industry best practices provides the only available reference points, and different suppliers have different standards.

Higher voltage cables also bring physical handling problems. At 60 kg/m, two people are needed to handle 66kV 200mm2 low stress cables, while steelwork must accommodate the extra weight and movement, especially under fault conditions. A larger bending radius is also needed. There is less space for termination, while room must be found for the installation team and their tools. Cable route planning is also more complex. Against this background, there is a trend towards 66kV plug-in cable terminations that mate in pre-assembled IEC standard enclosures.

The developers’ perspective

Subject to these technical and standards-related barriers being overcome, developers certainly want to move ahead. Scottish Power, for example, is seeing offshore wind projects grow and WTGs increase in capacity, and accordingly regards 66kV capability as their primary focus. They have established expectations of transformers, switchgear, cables, terminations and installation. They have also developed two collector system design cases: A 33kV system comprising two substations stations and a total cable length of 320km, and a 66kV version with 200km cable length.

Now that the OWA has developed a business case for 66kV, Scottish Power expects the baton to be passed to offshore equipment providers. In their view realistic, suitably manufactured and tested 66kV cable options must become available. Market forces, particularly the need to drop below the goal of £100/MWh level, are driving their need to change.

Conclusions

In the view of ORE Catapult and OWA, as well as many manufacturers and developers, 66kV is almost ready for the market, but there are still some challenges as outlined above. However with further work it is reasonable to expect that these can be overcome, making 66kV installations a viable choice for developers. This will make a signifi cant contribution to reducing both capital and operating costs; ensuring the industry’s economic viability and survival through Round 3 and beyond.

Power cable in carousel - Image courtesy of Global Marine Systems

Tekmar demonstration day


Cable protection system development for off shore wind farmsORE Catapult’s marine and subsea testing facilities, have been used for many years by the subsea and marine renewables industry. They include three large dry docks and a simulated seabed and were utilised this summer by Tekmar Energy to conduct fi ve weeks of product testing, demonstration trials and installation techniques on their TekLink® and TekTube® J-tube replacement system.


Case Study

Cable protection system development

Utilising the National Renewable Energy Centre’s testing facility meant that Tekmar were able to carry out full scale demonstrations in a controlled dry and wet environment, without having to go offshore. This proved essential in helping them to demonstrate their unique technology to a number of key offshore wind farm developers and EPIC contractors interested in deploying the systems on forthcoming UK Round 3 and other major offshore wind farm projects. The real-life demonstrations, which were witnessed by Dong Energy, Technip, Cape Wind, Enerco, VSMC, Van Oord, Siemens and Caldwell Marine, allowed them to prove how their product

is making a key industry contribution to reducing risk and installation time, reducing costs as well as raising the awareness of their technology to key clients.

Tekmar already supplies its systems to a number of offshore wind farms including Westermost Rough, Butendiek and Baltic II Offshore Wind Farms, but it is hoped that these product demonstrations will result in an increased understanding and greater reassurance of how the product will work in the fi eld and in turn lead to more commercial contracts for Tekmar.

James Ritchie, Chief Executive Offi cer, Tekmar Energy Ltd, said: “It is essential to fully test our

products and allow our clients and their partners to familiarise themselves and have input into the design and installation procedures in a controlled environment.

“Developing and proving our products prior to fi eld installation is a key component in maintaining our leadership and this, combined with the ability to access high quality facilities such as at Catapult in Blyth, gives us a unique industrial advantage. Innovative, technological improvements such as our cable protection systems can help towards creating a step-change in electrical cable technology which will help to minimise costs in the industry.”

To date, the TekLink® system, which has been designed to improve the resilience and longevity of underwater cable connections as well as reducing off shore wind turbine installation costs, has been deployed in over 27 off shore wind farms since it was fi rst developed in 2008, during which time Tekmar has supplied over 3,000 systems. TekTube®, which was unveiled in November 2013, is Tekmar’s latest innovation designed to protect subsea cables during the installation and operation of wind turbines on jacket, gravity-base and fl oating foundations.

Tekmar’s TekLink® being installed

Knowledge Collaboration Innovation

Feature

Project Snapshots


Marine Farm Accelerator (MFA) - Technology for fi rst wave and tidal arraysCommercial-scale marine energy farms are close to deployment in UK waters. The aim of the Marine Farm Accelerator programme is to develop technologies that are essential for these energy arrays, by accelerating their development and enabling future cost savings.

The programme focuses on three key areas: • Electrical systems• Yield optimisation• Installation methods

Our steering group has identifi ed their priority technologies in these areas and we are pursuing projects in: • Tidal turbine foundation installation advances• A common subsea connection system• Optimised array electrical architecture• Uncertainty and yield modelling

SPARTA - System Performance, Availability and Reliability Trend AnalysisSPARTA is a UK offshore wind performance data platform. It is a collaborative programme aimed at improving wind turbine operational performance by increasing reliability and availability. The project is delivering a database for sharing anonymised offshore wind farm performance and maintenance data, to provide owner/operator participants with robust and reliable benchmarked data. This will help identify operational improvements and cost reduction opportunities at both company and sector-wide levels.

Working in collaboration with



Feature

Project Snapshots

RETA - Renewable Energy Technology Accelerator Renewable Energy Technology Accelerator (RETA) was established by ORE Catapult and funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to work with manufacturing and engineering companies to progress specifi c technology development projects in key areas of the offshore renewables supply chain, including an inter-array cable trencher designed specifi cally for the offshore renewables industry as well as the design and development of smart cable technology. The project also offers free technology and market support to companies in North East England; supporting them to introduce new products and services to the sector. The programme runs until March 2015 with a project value of £1.9 million.

OPTIMUS - Optimisation of operational reliability of large-scale industrial wind turbines ORE Catapult is the project coordinator of a €5.6million EU FP7 funded project involving 12 consortium partners from six European countries.The three year project, which commenced in August 2013, will develop technology that will improve the effi ciency of maintenance procedures and operational reliability of key wind turbine components. The consortium will be reviewing wind turbine data to carry out vital modelling used in the development of a new condition monitoring technique.

Dual-Axis Fatigue Testing of Large Wind Turbine BladesThe dual axis blade fatigue testing project is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between Durham University and ORE Catapult.This project has been initiated to develop dual axis testing, allowing wind turbine blade tests to be performed in an acceptable timeframe. The project involves developing software to optimise and simulate blade tests. The fi nal stage of the project is a full scale demonstration test. It is anticipated that this project will show that an optimised dual axis test offers very signifi cant time benefi ts when compared to single axis testing as well as improving how representative the test is of the loading seen in service.




Update


Vessel conducting O&M on an off shore wind turbine

Paramedics carrying out working at height and rescue training

Renewables industry unites to drive off shore wind cost reductionORE Catapult has brought together eight of the industry’s major owner/operators to improve performance in operating and maintaining offshore wind farms. It’s a move aimed at driving the industry a considerable way towards the goal of £100/MWh for energy generated from offshore wind.

Owner/operators E.ON, SSE, EDF Energy Renewables, Scottish Power Renewables, Centrica, Dong Energy, Vattenfall and RWE have joined the ORE Catapult in identifying areas where they can collaborate and innovate, sharing learning and best practice to improve performance and ultimately drive down industry costs.

The O&M forum has a unique remit to investigate the common issues that affect offshore wind farm performance and reliability, and to develop and test innovative potential solutions. They will look at areas such as blade erosion and cable damage and failure, which have been identifi ed as common problems affecting almost all operational wind turbine generators in UK waters.

Paramedics scale new heights in wind turbine rescue trainingOver forty paramedics have completed an intensive working at height and rescue training course delivered using our 27m high wind turbine training tower at the National Renewable Energy Centre.The team from the North East Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Team were able to familiarise themselves with onshore wind turbines and undertake emergency procedures. Instructors from Rescue North East trained paramedics on access methods when undertaking an emergency procedure on a wind turbine using the vertical ladder and fi xed vertical fall arrest system, as well as techniques for self-recovery and casualty recovery.

Andrew Tipping, Sales Manager for ORE Catapult, said: “Working at height is an essential yet hazardous process when conducting vital wind turbine operations and maintenance.

“Our Training Tower is an open access facility and we are pleased to be working with Rescue North East to support the training of paramedics so they are adequately prepared for any emergencies involving onshore wind turbines.”

Paul Renwick, Managing Director for Rescue North East, said: “The training facilities and bespoke package available has enabled us to provide the quality training we need to equip paramedics to be able to work safely and carry out rescues in hazardous areas.”

News Round-up

15Circuit Autumn / Winter 2014 | Issue 4

Update

Partnership transforms HV LabThe UKAS accredited High Voltage Electrical Laboratory at the National Renewable Energy Centre has taken delivery of a 640kV resonant transformer, in collaboration with Doble Engineering.

The new partnership gives the HV laboratory an enhanced capability, enabling testing on bushings, high voltage power cables and other transmission system equipment up to 640kV levels. The combination of the HV laboratory testing and Doble’s fi eld testing experience will provide the market with a unique and independently accredited testing and problem solving service.

The arrival of the 640kV transformer enhances the existing 1MV DC voltage supply capability, and is a signifi cant upgrade to the AC test capability in the laboratory. The transformer will also be used to carry out insulation breakdown testing on HV power cables, such as partial discharge (PD), radio interference voltage (RIV) and tan delta tests.

With wave and tidal array power systems being developed and offshore oil, gas and wind inter-array systems moving to ever higher operational voltages, these test services and skills will help to support the development and certifi cation of the next generation of offshore transmission and distribution power systems.

Marine Current Turbines completes endurance testingThe Siemens-owned Marine Current Turbines’ (MCT) fi rst 1MW powertrain (gearbox, generator and power conditioning equipment) completed endurance testing using Catapult’s 3MW tidal turbine nacelle testing facility earlier this year.

During the 11 month test programme the 1MW turbine was exposed to the full range of power output and aggressive loadings the device would experience subsea, securing performance data equivalent to over 18 years of operation in an aggressive tidal fl ow.

Working together, the technical teams conducted a complete range of tests on the powertrain and its key components including the gearbox, power electronics and grid connection, in a controlled environment simulating the thrust and oscillating torque of extreme sea conditions. This type of testing was essential to understand how the whole system would be expected to perform in real offshore conditions before fi rst array deployment.

640kV transformer arrives at Catapult Blyth

MCT 1MW powertrain undergoing testing

News Round-up


Driving Innovationand KnowledgeThe Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult is the UK’s fl agship technology innovation and research centre for offshore wind, wave and tidal energy. We deliver prioritised research underpinned by world-class test and demonstration facilities, collaborating with industry, academia and Government to reduce the cost of offshore renewable energy.

autumn - winter 2014 | issue 4 making the switch · 2016-11-25 · autumn - winter 2014 | issue 4...

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