Reliable, dependable and cost effective subsea electrical power supply systems have been one of the mostimportant factors in the successful development of the subsea boosting and processing applications andtechnologies over the last 15 years. This paper will provide an overview of how the system and componentparameters and ratings have developed over this period. In the early days of subsea hydrocarbonproduction, there was a lot of skepticism using high voltage equipment under water - today we know thatwhen the design and qualification is done thoroughly, high availability is achieved on subsea electricalpower systems. Further, a focus on what have been the decisive factors for system design, correlation tothe end-load and consequently component selection will be offered. An overview of key componentqualification methodologies and programs will be described, and finally an overview of operationalexperience of the existing subsea power systems will be given. The end loads have increased in powerrating from some hundred kilowatts to multi-megawatts. This have obviously had a significant impact on thedesign and utilization of the power components, such as subsea wet mateable connectors, subsea transformers,frequency converters, electrical motors, etc. In parallel to the increase in power rating, and consequently voltageand current, the water depths and environments for installation have changed in this time period and have ledto increased requirements to pressure withstanding capabilities, cooling and physical robustness.
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