Amid component shortages and a growing demand for flexible electricity grids, critical infrastructure like the interconnector Baltic Cable faces rising pressure to remain operational for years to come. To succeed, vast technical experience is key. Baltic Cable’s technical experts, Jan Brewitz and Jonas Brink, share how innovation, maintenance strategies, and forward planning can extend asset life.

Connecting Sweden and Germany, the Baltic Cable not only consist of a submarine cable on the bottom of the sea, but of two converter stations on each side. These are vital to ensure the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission and require both technical expertise and experience to manage, says Jan Brewitz, Technical Director:

“With over 30 years of operation our team has certainly seen and managed to tackle it all! From major Control & Protection and transformer exchanges, offshore cable repairs, to cable fires in the sea.”

But new challenges await as the team that works to extend the lifespan of the Baltic Cable assets.

Time versus component and resource shortage

Commissioned in the mid 1990s, the Baltic Cable is planned to be operational until 2050 – a 55-year life span that demands proactive maintenance. To make this possible, the technical team must utilize their experience to quickly predict the future. Technical experts worldwide in the energy industry are competing for the same scarce HVDC components.

“All suppliers with HVDC interconnector systems production are increasing their production capacity, and still delivery times for most components stretch into years. The HV cable as well the HV main component industry is expanding faster than manufacturers are able to scale. The geopolitical uncertainty also inhibits certain trade and component availability.”, according to Technical Manager Jonas Brink.

To manage this well-known and common issue in the industry, the technical team at Baltic Cable have several strategies.

“It’s a balance between proactivity and To identify problems before they occur, we do monthly rounds and an annually planned maintenance week. We also fix repairs throughout the year during other planned outages, based on restrictions from TenneT and Svenska kraftnät. That way, we don’t disturb operations nor need to save all reparations for revision week.”, says Jonas Brink. He continues:

“But even if long term planning is important, ad hoc problems occur. Non-planned operation outages are our biggest issue priority and require immediate intervention.”

Innovation and AI for the win

Proactivity also involves finding new solutions for efficiency, like using AI to analyse vast amounts of data and create better risk assessments.

“We have been participating in a pilot program together with Hitachi for a new software program called IdentiQ™, that aims to create a digital twin of the cable and stations to present measurable data, trends and documentation.”, says Jonas Brink.

“To handle bigger system updates, like the 15 Minute MTU which required certain changes in our station control, we have also worked with simulators. The new product software and hardware worked was tested towards a Baltic Cable model, to discover potential faults before installing it.”, says Jan Brewitz.

The team also makes sure to participate in industry conferences to exchange experiences and stay ahead of industry developments.

Core competence key

Above all else, the key to succeeding in prolonging the life span of the Baltic Cable assets is the expertise kept inhouse. With thirty years of experience, a productive maintenance strategy and exploring new innovative ways of working, the technical team will create the best possible conditions for years of operation. Now, a hectic schedule lies ahead.

“We plan to soon update certain high voltage primary equipment, like the valve cooling system and our smoothing reactor, both critical to prolong the lifespan of the Baltic Cable assets. Our core team is key for that.”, concludes Jan Brewitz.