Measuring power quality is a growing challenge for the offshore sector. It affects the
performance, efficiency and lifespan of assets. The costs associated with neglecting to monitor
and react to poor power quality means it also affects companies and consumers in their
pockets. With the Government spotlight firmly on offshore wind to be a major contributor to net
zero goals how can the sector overcome these challenges to increase generation and provide
stable, secure energy?
Looking forward to the opportunities for the industry through the European Green Deal and
those outlined in the recent Energy White Paper from the UK Government, the quality of
electrical power delivery is an issue that will be coming to the forefront of industry discourse.
The need to keep power quality high to protect the integrity of physical assets is one Synaptec
would like to see discussed more in the industry. As 2021 looms, a more open and collaborative
approach to data needs to become the norm in order to herald in data-driven operations and
maintenance and make the UK a truly leading force in offshore wind.
Tom Morley, renewables lead at Synaptec, said:
“It’s only through access to data that we can address one of the biggest challenges facing
offshore wind – monitoring power quality. Cable failures continue to be one of the biggest
headaches for the offshore wind industry. The failure of cables also accounts for the single
biggest insurance cost for the offshore wind industry, making up 75-80 per cent of claims in the
UK. Previously, efforts to reduce offshore wind failures have been hampered by a lack of
available data and analysis. Power quality is intrinsically linked to cable failures, for example,
academic studies have shown that power quality issues can cause premature aging in cables.”
“Synaptec is tackling a very real quality issue for the benefit of the industry at large and their
consumers. Our patented optical sensing technology allows synchronous measurements of
voltage or current to be deployed at any location on a power system, requiring only access to
the existing single mode fibre network in the vicinity. None of the other supporting infrastructure
associated with traditional measurement techniques is required (e.g. power supplies, active
telecoms, and GPS receivers). This vastly reduces the cost per measurement across a power
network, and allows sensors to be deployed in locations far out at sea.”
Synaptec’s success shows that this problem could be mitigated as never before. The savings in
maintenance can then be passed on to consumers in the form of cheaper, cleaner, more
efficient renewable energy. Previously, efforts to reduce offshore wind failures have been
hampered by a lack of available data and analysis. The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult is
endeavouring to tackle this issue with the launch of ELECTRODE – a world-first project to build
a continuous and anonymous collection of data on subsea cable failures.
With expectations high on the contribution of offshore wind to net zero targets, the next 12
months will be a critical time for the adoption and implementation of technologies to deliver on
government promises.
Tom adds: “We are continuing to work with leaders in the offshore wind sector to understand
and respond to the evolving challenges they face. We are excited to see what 2021 has in store
and hope to see more data-driven solutions being adopted by major players in our industry.”
About Synaptec
Synaptec is an exciting and growing Glasgow-based tech company which provides distributed
sensor networks to improve visibility and control of power systems across the offshore wind and
transmission industries. In offshore wind, Synaptec has rapidly moved from initial demonstrators
to full scale projects with customers, providing RTTR and Power Quality measurement in one
platform to optimise use and longevity of subsea cables. The company’s board of directors
includes energy industry leaders including Professor Campbell Booth and Ian Marchant,
formerly CEO of SSE PLC. Synaptec was awarded the ‘Best Offshore Renewables Innovation’
award at the 2017 UK Energy Innovation Awards, the Sustainable Energy Award at the 2017
Scottish Renewables Green Energy Awards.
