A laboratory has been given a £280,000 boost with a significant upgrade to its lighting impulse test capabilities.

Funded by Innovate UK, the upgrade will support the development of high voltage cable systems and accessories, such as export cables and universal joints, helping to reduce export cable failure rates.

The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s High Voltage Laboratory’s new Lighting Impulse Generator enables the testing of equipment rated up to 275kV for offshore renewable applications, as well as transmission and distribution markets.

Alex Neumann, ORE Catapult’s HV Asset and Business Development Manager said: “With export cables from the UK fleet of offshore wind farms experiencing failure rates higher than anticipated, there is great value in improved testing capabilities and equipment to improve cable performance and reduce maintenance and repair times, by providing for example, third party qualification of universal repair joints.

“With this investment, we are supporting the very latest cable developments in offshore wind.”