ECG safeguards the continuity of offshore wind operations for stable clean power generation to six million UK homes.
In what is believed to be a global industry-first, Proserv’s advanced Electro Cable Guard (ECG™) will de-risk offshore wind operations at the third phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm by identifying signs of transmission cable failure far earlier, allowing proactive measures to be carried out to avoid costly outages.
Under a contract with DEME, the subsea controls technology specialist will deploy its proprietary game-changing technology at the third phase of what will become the world’s largest wind farm once operational, enhancing asset reliability through earlier failure detection and prevention.
Using unique passive electrical sensors to monitor inter-array cables and terminations, ECG delivers early fault detection that traditional systems overlook, transforming maintenance strategies and strengthening resilience in offshore operations. It works by permanently and synchronously monitoring the combined effect of electrical and mechanical stresses on power cables and terminations to identify failure precursors far earlier, providing real-time insights into transmission system health. Without needing additional power or telecoms infrastructure, it is efficient, easy to deploy, and ideal for offshore cable systems, including both cables and terminations.
Building on the momentum of the global control technology specialist’s growing renewables portfolio, Proserv’s ECG is currently being deployed at Dogger Bank A and B, as well as Hywind Scotland and Hywind Tampen, with additional projects in the pipeline. This next-generation cable monitoring methodology will now be rolled out at Dogger Bank C, a further large-scale project for Proserv’s propriety technology, continuing ECG’s adoption by the offshore wind sector.
Proserv’s Vice President of Renewables, Paul Cook, said: “We are incredibly proud to secure this contract, positioning Proserv as the cable monitoring provider for DEME Offshore across the three phases of the Dogger Bank project, the world’s largest offshore wind farm currently under construction.
“As more offshore wind developments come online, unplanned cable and termination failures are an increasing concern. This latest evolution of our breakthrough ECG system offers substantial cost savings benefits to developers and operators, addressing the widespread issue of cable failures, which account for approximately 80% of wind-farm related insurance claims. Unlike conventional methods, our solution embeds passive optical electrical sensors directly within terminations, eliminating the need for additional power and telecoms infrastructure at each termination point. This enhances efficiency, streamlines data collection, and provides real-time alerts to prevent downtime, reducing repair costs by up to 80% when interventions are planned proactively.”
Located 130km off the Yorkshire coast, the Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being built in three phases with 277 turbines in total (95 at both A and B, and 87 at C), each standing 260m tall – twice the height of the London Eye. Set for completion in 2027, it will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm, powering six million UK homes with clean energy annually.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm Senior Project Manager, Alan Evans, said: “Availability of assets is critical to the efficient supply of renewable electricity into our decarbonised energy system. We’ve been working with DEME and Proserv to pioneer the use of ECG monitoring technology on the first phases of our project, and we look forward to building on this relationship with Dogger Bank C.”
Proserv’s ECG is completely wind farm agnostic with its adaptability spanning new and existing fixed-bottom and floating wind projects. It addresses up to 90% of common cable system failure modes, particularly at cable terminations, a leading cause of where faults arise.Developed in collaboration with Synaptec, a specialist in power system monitoring in which Proserv is a shareholder, the technology combines the firm’s expertise with Proserv’s engineering and integration expertise honed in oil and gas, delivering enhanced reliability for renewable energy infrastructure projects.
Synaptec’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Philip Orr, said: “We’re excited to work with Proserv to lead the way in derisking offshore power generation. The future of clean energy depends on reliably transporting renewable power to the grid, and that means taking action to maximise the resilience of offshore power assets. This project will be a significant milestone in the development of the offshore wind sector, and we are proud to play our part in making it as successful and productive as possible.”
The Dogger Bank C contract will be project managed, engineered and delivered by Proserv’s Great Yarmouth based team, in addition to the work being carried out at the wind farm’s A and B phases.
For more information, please visit Proserv's website.