EasyDC-FOS

TOWARDS A WIDE-SPREAD HVDC-BASED POWER SYSTEM ENABLED BY NEW HIGHLY EFFICIENT CABLE & FIBRE OPTIC MONITORING SYSTEMS

EasyDC-FOS focuses on the development of a new generation of high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables with reduced environmental impact, able to operate at voltages above 525 kV and paired with an intelligent monitoring system based on fibre optics and integrated in a cyber-secure digital environment.

The project will deliver and validate an HVDC cable prototype able to operate at a minimum of 400 kV and 90ºC with lower energy losses thanks to improved insulating materials, where testing will be performed to extrapolate insulation material behaviour to at least 640kV. This cable will be designed not only to be more energy efficient, but also to minimize its environmental impact. The prototype testing campaign will ensure that it meets the highest standards of performance, robustness and safety for its future integration into European electricity grids.

To ensure durability and reliability, advanced partial discharge (PD) measurement techniques will be implemented using passive fibre optic sensors in the 0 to 1 GHz frequency range, which will provide accurate, real-time data on the cable condition over time. From this data, predictive ageing models will be developed to anticipate and prevent future failures.

Additionally, a vibration sensor based on fibre optics will be developed and integrated with DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) and DAS (Distributed Acoustic Sensing) solutions to continuously monitor the temperature, acoustic signals and vibrations of the system, thus enabling the development of cable capacity and fault location algorithms.

These technological innovations will be integrated into a distributed edge infrastructure that will significantly strengthen the cybersecurity of the entire monitoring system, ensuring robust protection and a fast and efficient response to potential threats or vulnerabilities.

The project outcomes will be demonstrated and validated with support from Transmission System Operators (TSOs) at two sites in Norway and Denmark in 2027. The performance of the new HVDC cables and monitoring technologies will be assessed under real operating conditions, thus laying the groundwork for future large-scale deployment in the EU.