With the increasing number of marine renewable energy projects being developed, particularly in UK coastal waters, there is a growing requirement for the installation of reliable power cables and connectors that are proven to be robust in the harsh subsea environment.
While power cable terminations can be made above the surface for most wind installations, for many tidal stream and wave energy devices, connectors must be capable of mating and breaking reliably and in complete safety under water. They must also maintain a safe and reliable connection in a wide range of temperatures and sea conditions, including salt, dirty and turbid water, and at elevated pressures due to depth of submersion.
RMSpumptools has a proud reputation as a supplier to the oil and gas sector of many years standing. The company’s high and medium voltage connector range has been thoroughly proven in the marine environment while in service with customers over more than 25 years. These high quality devices incorporate a patented positive latching device, oil-filled chambers with dual barriers for effective insulation, and can compensate for misalignment during connector mating.
By bringing this product range to the marine renewable sector, RMSpumptools is providing a highly practical and robust solution that will enable the developers and operators of subsea tidal stream and wave energy installations to engineer their products for greater reliability, and help facilitate more effective and efficient maintenance operations.
“We are extremely pleased to be able to make our range of ‘Wet Mate’ connectors available to the marine renewable energy sector,” said Michael Winfield, subsea business manager of RMSpumptools. “Already well proven in the oil and gas sector, these highly robust products will provide much needed design flexibility as well as reliable operation and maintenance. Marine renewable energy has an important role to play in decarbonizing grid power supplies, and RMSpumptools is pleased to be able to offer system developers and operators an established technology to facilitate the development of the required subsea power cable networks, from individual devices through to farm-scale installations.”
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Press release, June 12, 2013; Image: RMSpumptools