SeaConnect - High voltage subsea connections for resilient renewable offshore grids

Project goals:

• To develop new materials and designs for offshore power grid components which are at the highest risk for failure: namely cable terminations and subsea connectors. 
• To significantly increase the breakdown strength and lifetime of cable connectors and terminations by essentially controlling and increasing the interfacial pressure between the components using a new design principle and tailor-made materials. This will, in addition, facilitate higher voltage ratings (> 66 kV) without significant increase in cost, areal or environmental footprint of the infrastructure, a prerequisite for future cost-competitive subsea grids.

R&D partners:

• SINTEF Energi AS
• NTNU
• University of Strathclyde

Industry partners:

• ABP Norway AS
• Benestad Solutions AS
• ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS
• DNO Norge AS
• Equinor Energy AS
• OMV (Norge) AS
• Repsol Norge AS
• Sval Energy AS
• TotalEnergies EP Norge AS
• Vår Energi AS
• Wintershall Dea Norge AS

International industry partners:

• NKT GmbH
• Systèmes et Connectique du Mans (SCM)

This is a Collaborative and Knowledge-building Project partly financed by the Research Council of Norway.