Offshore Windfarm Export Cable System Commissioning, is it fit for purpose?

The inability for OWFs export connections to experience initial substantial sustained load causes a problem on several fronts as the full functionality of the export circuits cannot be verified until such a load is applied. The cable system warranty period is expected to cover the elevated risk of failure (part of the bath-tub curve related to infant mortality) as the cable system is operated within its full operational window after commissioning. Historically, cable systems were subject to representative load conditions straight after connection into the grid. However the growth in the renewable sector, particularly the offshore windfarm, has meant a change in the operational regime in the majority of cases. The export cable connections are usually constructed before the whole of the wind turbine generators (WTGs) are installed to transmit the power from the start of the WTG build out. This means that full transfer power may not be realised for years rather than months. As the failure risk in polymer cable technology is particularly sensitive to temperature cycles, infant mortality issues may not be discovered until the warranty period has passed.