Ditrel Industrial has completed the survivabiltiy trials of its electric subsea connector Konekta2 at the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (Bimep).
Spanish engineering company Ditrel completed the decommissioning of the 13.2kV prototype connector from Bimep in October, where it was installed for more than six months, according to the Basque Energy Cluster.
The company said it tested and proved the integrity of the connector, sealing of the inner elements, and the protection for the umbilical cable, both inside and outside the connector.
Also, Ditrel validated the mooring system design, as well as the feasibility of the installation, operation and decommissioning maneuvers, the Basque Energy Cluster informed.
During the period, Konekta2 withstood waves of Hs> 5.5 meters without any effect to the installed elements, according to the Basque Energy Cluster
Konekta2 can be used to connect and disconnect different types of energy converters in the marine environment.
It has been developed with the objective of simplifying the connection operations, and reducing costs and time by avoiding the use of large vessels and subsea equipment, according to Ditrel.
Following the completion of tests, and the Approval in Principle certificate issued in July 2017 from Bureau Veritas, Ditrel said it is ow working on collaboration agreements for connecting wave, offshore wind, tidal and current devices and multi-purpose platforms to the grid.
In this regard, Ditrel started with the development of a new connector within the HARSH consortium project. This project aims to design, build and install one multi-purpose laboratory (HARSH LAB) in Bimep to help other companies develop their products for marine environments.