Independent assessment confirms technical feasibility of Scattersphere’s fibre-optic subsea power cable monitoring solution, marking key milestone in the DNV Technology Qualification process

 Indeximate, the leading provider of fibre sensing-based subsea power cable health monitoring to the offshore wind energy industry,  announced it has received a Statement of Feasibility for its Scattersphere® cable health monitoring platform from DNV, an independent energy expert and assurance provider. The assessment, delivered under the DNV-RP-A203 Technology Qualification framework, confirms that the system is technically feasible for its intended application and can progress to the next stages of formal qualification.

The Statement of Feasibility is the first milestone in DNV’s structured Technology Qualification process and highlights Indeximate’s commitment to product verification. It provides independent confirmation that the Scattersphere concept, its distributed fibre optic sensing approach, data processing methodology and intended operating boundaries, are credible and feasible when applied to subsea power cables for the offshore wind sector. The review also evaluated Indeximate’s proposed algorithms, risk characterisation methods, system architecture, and supporting documentation.

Scattersphere uses Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) in existing unused optical fibres that are part of subsea power cables to provide continuous visibility of cable behaviour under real environmental conditions. The system’s cloud-based analytics translate full-frequency fibre data into indicators of exposure, abrasion, strain, fatigue, vibration, movement, and structural integrity, helping operators understand indicators of emerging failure and schedule targeted maintenance.

DNV’s assessment examined Scattersphere’s qualification basis, functional description, sensing principles, data compression processes, risk areas and operating conditions. The review included a structured technology threat assessment and produced a consolidated risk register identifying uncertainties to be addressed in later qualification stages, as is standard for a Statement of Feasibility.

The Statement of Feasibility does not constitute a full Technology Certificate. Instead, it establishes that Scattersphere is technically feasible and ready to progress to the next stages of DNV’s qualification pathway, which looks to determine the systems performance, including endorsement of a qualification plan and subsequent validation activities.

Subsea power cables remain one of offshore wind’s most expensive sources of unplanned failure, with losses in the UK sector alone reaching more than £3.5 billion over the past 15 years. As offshore wind expands rapidly into deeper waters and harsher marine environments, independent assurance of monitoring technologies is increasingly critical for developers, transmission owners and their insurers.

Dr Alastair Godfrey, Co-founder and Director at Indeximate, said: “Achieving DNV’s Statement of Feasibility is an important milestone for the Scattersphere technology. The Statement of Feasibility confirms that Scattersphere’s sensing principles, analytical methods and system architecture are technically feasible, and it provides a clear pathway towards full qualification. The independent authority of DNV is a critical reassurance of the quality of our solutions as we continue to deliver insight on the health of our customers’ cables. Subsea cables are among the industry’s most critical and vulnerable assets and as new approaches to monitoring and risk reduction emerge, independent assessment is essential to build sector confidence in their effectiveness.”

Graham Faiz, Head of Digital Energy at DNV, said: “Indeximate has presented a well-structured technology basis for Scattersphere, supported by clear documentation, a defined scope of application and a transparent approach to data processing and risk identification. Technology solutions that promise to drive down the cost of offshore wind energy operations and maintenance are vital to the success of the industry – and our independent assurance provides the sector with confidence that such solutions can be trusted. It is always a source of pride to work with innovators like Indeximate to drive the sector forward.”

Indeximate will now progress toward the next stage of DNV Technology Qualification, which includes developing a formal qualification plan and conducting targeted validation activities to address remaining uncertainties identified in the Statement of Feasibility.