The EasyDC-FOS project is focused on developing a new generation of high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables with reduced environmental impact, capable of operating at voltages above 525 kV. These cables will feature an intelligent monitoring system based on fibre optics, integrated within a cyber-secure digital environment.
The project will produce and validate an HVDC cable prototype that can operate at a minimum of 400 kV and 90ºC with lower energy losses due to improved insulating materials. Testing will extrapolate insulation material behaviour to at least 640 kV.
To ensure durability and reliability, advanced partial discharge (PD) measurement techniques will be implemented using passive fibre optic sensors in the 0 to 1 GHz frequency range. This will provide real-time data on the cable's condition, from which predictive ageing models will be developed to prevent future failures.
Additionally, a fibre optic-based vibration sensor will be integrated with DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) and DAS (Distributed Acoustic Sensing) solutions. This will enable continuous monitoring of temperature, acoustic signals, and vibrations, facilitating the development of cable capacity and fault location algorithms.
The project outcomes will be demonstrated and validated with the support of Transmission System Operators (TSOs) at two sites in Norway and Denmark in 2027. The performance of the new HVDC cables and monitoring technologies will be assessed under real operating conditions, laying the groundwork for future large-scale deployment in the EU.
EasyDC-FOS is coordinated by Lumiker, a developer of passive photonic sensor technology, fibre optics, and monitoring solutions. It involves a multidisciplinary team of 13 partners from four European countries, working together over the next three years. The consortium includes Nexans (HVDC cable manufacturer), Ampacimon (network monitoring solutions), AP Sensing (developer and manufacturer of distributed fibre optic sensing products), Energinet (Danish electricity and natural gas grid transmission operator), Statnett (Norwegian grid operator), Barbara (edge computing platform for distributed and cyber-secure device management), RDT Ingenieros (thermal and fluid dynamic simulation), GreenDelta (sustainability consultancy and software development), University of Cantabria (thermal modelling and predictive maintenance of electrical assets), University of Valladolid (monitoring tools), Zabala (innovation consultants), and the Basque Energy Cluster (communication, dissemination, and exploitation).
