Assessment of Water Tree Formation in XLPE Insulation Variants to Validate Design of 132 kV Wet-Type Dynamic Cables

The expansion of floating offshore wind is driving strong demand for reliable dynamic power cables capable of transmitting electricity from floating turbines in deepwater locations to onshore substations. Unlike fixed-bottom turbines, floating turbines can access previously untapped offshore wind resources, contributing significantly to the projected growth in global offshore wind capacity. Supporting this industry growth requires next generation 132 kV dynamic array cables that can withstand elevated electrical stresses (up to 8 kV/mm) and endure complex mechanical loads from hydrodynamic forces and platform motions. Under these harsher operating conditions, modern subsea cable designs must make predicted insulation degradation a critical determinant in overall system reliability.