Growth Drivers

• Growing Exploration of Oil & Gas -Globe has oil that could still be exploited for another 46 years. The same amount of confirmed oil reserves is probably around 2 trillion barrels. One of the main factors driving demand for underwater connectors is the expanding oil and gas exploration. Both onshore and offshore regions have oil and gas deposits, however offshore reserves are larger and more prevalent in some places. Hence, the oil and gas sector significantly relies on subsea equipment, such as pipelines, control systems, and subsea drilling systems, all of which need dependable and long-lasting underwater connectors for power and data transfer.
• Rise in Construction of Subsea Pipelines -Currently, subsea infrastructure supplies about 4 million barrels of oil and gas per day (bpd), however if anticipated future projects move forward, that number is expected to rise to about 34 billion by 2030. Hence, the construction of subsea pipelines is growing.
• Surge in Construction of Data Centers Underwater -As the need for data processing and storage increases, some businesses are looking into the use of underwater data centers that are cooled by the surrounding seawater. In the spring of 2018, the Project Natick team at Microsoft set up the Northern Isles datacenter 117 feet below the surface of the ocean. For power and data transfer, these data centers need specialized underwater connectors.
• Growth in Water Pollution -Oil spills or leaks offshore may occur at different times during well drilling, workover, and maintenance activities. These phases may take place as oil is handled, extracted from offshore wells, and temporarily stored. They may also happen as oil is delivered offshore via a flowline, an undersea pipeline, or a ship. Offshore drilling operations produce roughly about 3 percent of the approximately 705 million gallons of waste oil in the ocean each year, and transportation mishaps (including ships and tankers) add another 4 percent. Oil spills in the ocean are not discovered by underwater connectivity by themselves. However, they could be used to link sensors and monitoring tools that are especially made to find and gauge oceanic oil spills.
• Upsurge in Urban Population -Approximately 4.4 billion people, or 56% of the world's population, reside in cities. By 2050, approximately 7 out of 10 people would live in cities, with the urban population predicted to more than double from its current level. Infrastructure development, such as building bridges, tunnels, and other underwater constructions, is becoming more and more important as cities develop and thrive. These constructions frequently call for subsea technology that transmits electricity and data using dependable, long-lasting underwater connections.

Challenges

• High Cost of Underwater Connectors - Underwater connections are expensive primarily since they need specialized construction and materials to resist the severe marine environment. Underwater connectors must be able to survive high pressures, chilly temperatures, and corrosive saltwater. In order to achieve this, specialized materials such titanium, ceramic, or premium stainless steel must be used. In order to prevent water from getting inside and harming the equipment they link, underwater connectors must also be designed to maintain a watertight seal. Higher production expenses may be incurred owing to the usage of these specialized materials and designs, which are subsequently passed on to the consumers in the form of higher prices. Additionally, underwater connectors frequently need to be highly customized in order to suit the demands of various applications, which raises the price.
• Growing Environmental Regulations
• Competition from Alternative Technologies