ABOUT
Seasnake is a OceanERA-NET project aiming for developing dynamic Cables for ocean energy. The project contains design and production of cables and environmental friendly anti-fouling, lab and offshore testing.
The main goal of the SEASNAKE project is to provide a step change in the overall performance of a medium voltage cable system, while ensuring that they are highly reliable and lower the risks of ocean energy installations.
The specific objectives of the Seasnake project:
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Objective 1: To increase the economic viability of Ocean energy cable systems by reducing the Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) at least 20% of the dynamic cable subsystem, by CapEx and OpEx reduction
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Objective 2: To proof that 95% availability can be achieved with an improved design for reliability, maintainability and survivability of all cable sub-systems, validated in a relevant environment, reaching TRL7
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Objective 3: De-risk, minimise and optimise offshore operations related to the dynamic cable, to achieve lower annual OpEx, thereby reducing LCOE for a WEC system further.
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Objective 4: Demonstration of dynamic cable solutions
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Objective 5: Minimise environmental impact
Project partners are NKT cables, I-Tech, MWA Coating, Waves4Power, Corpower, OceanHarvesting Technologies, Chalmers University of Technology and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden from Sweden, as well as Université Gustave Eiffel (former IFSTTAR) from France, WaveC from Portugal, and Wave-Venture from Ireland.
PARTNERS
PROJECT CONCEPT
Seasnake is a 2-year project structured into 8 work packages as shown in the figure below. The work packages will be implemented according to the V-Model. WP1 establishes the technical requirements on the transmission system with focus on RAM. WP2 sets-up the numerical models and reliability methods for the transmission system from the WEC towards the shore. WP3 develops the innovative dynamic cable solution including connections to accessories and manufacturing of cables. This WP also involves prototype testing at IFSTTAR and NKT for mechanical and electrical performances. WP4 builds the required anti fouling solutions to protect and maintain the cable in operation including cable material, and mechanical mitigation. Integration of WP3 and WP4 will enable the testing of innovative dynamic MV cable and trials in sea trials connected to CorPowers and Waves4Powers planned deployments in WP6. Underlying this WP6 will also work with health and safety documentation for safe working at sea to document and quantify the relevant changes from moving from manned to unmanned to autonomous systems for inspection and maintenance operations. The pilots will influence and provide input to the development of next generation O&M processes and strategy optimization in WP5. Completion of the pilots will support WP7 which works with commercialisation and environmental impact to develop the market introduction of the innovative solutions and test procedures needed to create standards for electrical infrastructure in the ocean energy sector. WP7 also explores these economic impacts using socio-techno-economic analysis.
For the avoidance of doubt, it is not proposed that new standards are produced as an output of this project, but the outcomes will support both developers and end users in aligning procedures with the standardisation process, accelerating their route to certification and supporting the certification bodies in making relevant certification available as quickly as possible. Through WP8 the SEASNAKE team will execute the project successfully and their Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation plan in order for the project to establish the commercialisation of the innovations developed and to best generate value for the entire supply chain associated with ocean energy technology and operations.
