Why do you think there are such a high percentage of claims related to Offshore Wind subsea cables?
Mainly, I think it is caused by increased pricing pressure, leading the Offshore Wind market to act in a way similar industries don’t. For example, if you look at interconnectors and Oil and Gas, these sectors still prefer turn-key contracts, awarded to EPCI (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation) contractors, and consequently building expertise along the value chain.
The Offshore Wind industry, on the other hand, is focusing on cost reduction when installing submarine cables and not paying enough attention to the quality of cable design, asset installation, maintenance and monitoring of the process.
The main cause of submarine cabling problems often come down to the suppliers’ lack of experience, capabilities and cable know-how. Work being distributed among a number of different contractors, can often expose the end customer to even further risk; if a problem does arise the sheer number of suppliers involved (and their lack of familiarity in working with one another) could lead to issues related to accountability and responsibility.