Maximum seabed temperature in the Southern North Sea as a parameter for cable design

On behalf of TenneT, a generic 'function' has been developed that describes the maximum seabed temperature as a function of burial depth in the Dutch sector of the North Sea to a depth of 40 m bsf. Maximum seabed temperature is an important parameter in the design of high-voltage submarine cables. First, bottom-water temperature was assessed using the 3D Dutch Continental Shelf Model. Subsequently, underlying seabed temperature was modelled for six representative locations adopting a homogeneous sand and a layered sequence of sand and clay. The impact of climate warming was estimated using published ensemble projections of North Sea sea-surface temperature warming to 2100.