Wave power test site gets its sub-sea shore link

Author: EIS Release Date: Oct 12, 2022

CorPower Ocean and Maersk have installed the 6.2km sub-sea export cable needed at the HiWave-5 wave-power test site 5.5km off the northern coast of Portugal.

 

CorPower Ocean subsea cable for HiWave-5

The site will initially accommodate the prototype of CorPower’s huge C4 wave energy converter (below) which is scheduled to be joined by three more.

 

The 7.2kV cable was fed into the beach from a ship, the Maersk Achiever, floating ~1km off-shore. It was pulled in by a shore-based winch using a messenger line. Temporary buoyancy on the cable eased its transit.

 

CorPower Ocean and Maersk Supply Service install subsea cable for HiWave-5 ProjectAt the beach, it was pulled though a pre-built conduit which takes it on to the terrestrial sub-station. As the rest of it was laid beneath the waves, mass was added where extra stability was required.

 

“The cable lay process is a notoriously challenging aspect for marine energy projects, with much planning required and adaption to weather windows and ocean conditions,” said operations manager Robert Argo. “Various parameters were also monitored throughout including cable tension, cable departure angle and touch down monitoring. On completion a visual and positioning survey was carried out by a remotely operated vehicle.”

 

The cable, which also has fibre-optic comms, will terminate in a quick-connect interface at the anchor head, where it will joint the feeder from the wave generator.

 

CorPower Ocean wave farm

 

Following a year’s testing in Sweden, the C4’s power take-off system is due to join its 9m diameter composite hull at CorPower’s Portuguese base in Viana do Castelo.