Marlinks cable monitoring technology selected for Norther offshore windfarm

The export and inter-array cables on the windfarm will be monitored using Marlinks’ technology.

Marlinks’ distributed temperature sensing technology uses optical fibre to continuously monitor changes in temperature and burial depth with a high level of spatial resolution. This allows operators to react quickly at the first sign of failure.

Norther executive director Thierry Aelens said, “Undersea cables are the Achilles’ heel of our business. We chose Marlinks as our monitoring partner because their data and models help us prevent damage.”

Installation of the system started in the last quarter of 2020 and is due to be completed in early 2021.

The Norther project is located 23 km off the coast of Zeebrugge, Belgium and consists of 44 wind turbines. The windfarm has a capacity of 370 MW. The concession for the project was granted at the end of 2009.