New cable test facility will shorten time to market and enhance reliability

The investment, funded by the North East Combined Authority, will allow the ORE Catapult to build a high-voltage (HV) electrical test facility at its Blyth site, and install bespoke equipment to carry out ‘pre-qualification’ testing on HV cable systems.

The testing system will apply extremely high voltages and currents to cables – creating stresses above operational levels in a real-world environment. The testing space will also allow the cable to be installed in different representative conditions, including buried, ducted and submerged in salt water, if required, to test its capabilities.

Currently, this type of testing can take up to two years and there are no facilities capable of providing this service in the UK. The ORE Catapult said this new development will speed up nationwide production, shorten time to market for new technology and deliver improved cable system reliability.

ORE Catapult will work with organisations in the cable manufacturing sector across the UK and worldwide. Cable manufacturer JDR Systems is the first to sign up to use the facility – due to open at the end of 2026.

JDR Cable Systems chief strategy and compliance officer James Young said the new facility is an important step to strengthen the UK’s ability to test and qualify next-generation offshore wind cable systems domestically.

“It is also a milestone for the UK offshore wind sector,” said Mr Young, “enabling faster development and qualification of advanced cable technologies that will power the industry’s next phase of growth.”

ORE Catapult chief engineer HV electrical Alex Neumann said, “By investing in this new facility and ensuring it links up with the high voltage, mechanical and materials test laboratories we already operate, we can help cable system designers and manufacturers develop products faster. This will also galvanise local and national supply chain companies to grasp the economic prize on offer within the UK offshore wind cable technology market.”