Developers need to anonymously share cable failure data to ensure the issue does not hold the industry back, the final session of RUK’s virtual Global Offshore Wind conference heard.
ORE Catapult electrical engineer Charlotte Strang-Moran (pictured) said a mechanism was needed so detailed information could be shared in order to tackle the issue, adding: “It’s difficult to gauge risks if data is not gathered.”
She said cross-industry collaboration could be very beneficial: “a dataset can open up doors for new innovation we haven’t seen yet.”
JDR Cable Systems Chief Technology Officer James Young said during the webinar on subsea cables that large amounts of data “would be very beneficial for the industry.”
He added: “I would want data down to the component level… whether faults are fibre optics or pulling through a J-tube, we need that level of granularity… to allow manufacturers to target some of the most common problems.”
Carbon Trust offshore wind associate Ivan Savitsky said open data could prevent offshore wind being unnecessarily held back: “If there’s opportunities to work more collaboratively and share data then I’m all for it.”
ORE Catapult has estimated UK losses from cable failure at £227m between 2014 and 2017.