Cable installation equipment specialist, Osbit, has unveiled an innovative cable fatigue test.

It showcased the rig at the grand opening of Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s (ORE Catapult) National Floating Wind Innovation Centre on Monday, March 18.

Osbit, based in Riding Mill, delivered and installed the cable test rig as part of a multi-million-pound project for ORE Catapult's latest floating offshore wind site.

This facility, developed through collaborations with industry and academic partners, is set to fast-track the commercialisation of floating offshore wind projects.

The 60-tonne cable fatigue test rig, at the heart of the centre's development, strengthens ORE Catapult’s testing capabilities, thus maximising power cable reliability.

Built to meet updated CIGRE TB862 industry standards, Osbit's design provides dynamic fatigue testing for subsea cables and bend stiffeners connected to offshore floating wind structures.

This unique design offers a comprehensive range of test potentials, and allows for adjustments for cable sizes and lengths, tensions and bend radii.

The system has been optimised for tension stability and uses simplified drive mechanisms for long machine life and efficient running.

Constructed and tested at Osbit’s Port of Blyth facility in Northumberland, the system was subsequently delivered and set up in the newly established Aberdeen site.

This is Osbit's second test rig for ORE Catapult, with a performance verifying rig for floating and tidal cables previously delivered to the Blyth facility in 2018.

Martin Jolliffe, director at Osbit, said: "The award of this project strengthens our excellent relationship with ORE Catapult and cements our position at the forefront of cutting-edge cable testing and verification technology.

“As well as enabling testing in line with the latest technical industry specifications, this rig is designed to offer both robustness and adaptability, enabling ORE Catapult to adjust and reconfigure testing conditions to suit a large range of verification requirements.”

Andrew Macdonald, ORE Catapult’s director of Offshore Wind Development and Operations, said: "Osbit have stepped up to the challenge of developing a versatile and future-proofed test rig that will reduce the technical risks of floating wind projects in the UK and around the world."