Dynamic HVDC export cables will be crucial for connecting large offshore wind power plants to the energy grid, but they face various technical, environmental, and financial challenges.
The DCDYNAMIC project aims to address these issues by bringing together experts from academia, industry, and insurance, including teams from the University of Manchester, ETH Zurich, the University of Vienna, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, NKT Cable Group, Shell Research, S&B Insurance Advisors, and ARTTIC Innovation.
The team will investigate how electrical, mechanical, and thermal stresses impact cable performance through laboratory tests. They will design, build, and test a 320 kV dynamic export cable prototype. Additionally, they will create real-world testing conditions to validate the cables on a larger scale. The project will also explore recycling options and assess economic risks to make these cables more financially viable. A key goal is to enhance insurability by developing models to predict their lifespan and implementing monitoring methods to ensure reliability.
DCDYNAMIC is funded by Horizon Europe and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), coordinated by the University of Manchester, and will receive over 6 million euros in total funding over four years starting in November 2024.
