Terna tests ‘Internet of Underwater Things’ technology for offshore developments

Italian TSO Terna has been testing a network of marine sensors for real-time monitoring of underwater environmental conditions.

This so-called Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) technology, which was tested in collaboration with developer Wsense, offers the potential for monitoring the marine ecosystem during the construction of offshore energy generation assets and particularly the large submarine connections that will form their backbone.

Conducted in the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Piombino Channel, Wsense set up a system of submarine probes connected in an underwater Wi-Fi network for the transmission of data.

This submarine network was used to acquire data in real time over a prolonged and continuous period monitoring different parameters of the marine ecosystem, including underwater noise, current measurements, chlorophyll, temperature and water turbidity.

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Describing the IoUT technology as an example of the energy and digital twin transition being pursued by Terna for the goal of building an increasingly sustainable electricity system, Giacomo Donnini, Terna’s Major Projects and International Development Director, said it offers great promise for the monitoring of underwater environmental conditions.

“We are constantly engaged in the search for integrated solutions, aimed at developing submarine networks and managing them with greater efficiency. In this context, the technology we are testing with Wsense could pave the way for innovative approaches to mitigating environmental impacts and protecting the marine ecosystem.”

Terna anticipates that the construction of the submarine electricity cables will require the adoption of innovative solutions to guarantee the security of the assets and monitoring of environmental conditions around these infrastructures.

With its advanced monitoring and the real-time communication of indicative submarine parameters, from which the human impact on the sea can be evaluated, the IoUT represents a new frontier in technology and ultimately is the marine equivalent of the land-based technology Terna has been using for many years to monitor the status of its power grid.

The concept of the energy and digital ‘twin transition’ is one of the pillars of Terna’s 2024-2028 Industrial Plan, which has allocated approximately €2 billion (US$2.1 billion) for digitalisation and innovation.

Wsense, a spinoff from Sapienza University in Rome, is a deep-tech company specialised in underwater monitoring and communication systems based on patented technologies.