IEC TS 62600-4:2020

Marine energy - Wave, tidal and other water current converters - Part 4: Specification for establishing qualification of new technology

IEC TS 62600-4:2020 specifies the requirements of the technology qualification process for marine renewable technologies. Technology Qualification is a process of providing evidence and arguments to support claims that the technology under assessment will function reliably in a target operating environment within specific limits and with an acceptable level of confidence.
The Technology Qualification process is also assumed in IEC TS 62600-2:2019.
The objective of this document is to provide the necessary practices and technical requirements, regarding technology qualification methodology, to support the needs of the IECRE certification process for marine renewables energy systems. Technology Qualification may be performed at the beginning of the certification process to identify the uncertainties, novelties, and modes of failure, mechanisms of failure, risks and risk control measures. In addition, Technology Qualification will identify the standards that are applicable, to what extent and what adaptation to the technology is required to address the risks. The Technology Qualification Plan is the deliverable arising from this process and it will provide all necessary actions to achieve certification.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 21-Sep-2020
• ICS: 27.140 - Hydraulic energy engineering
• Technical Committee: TC 114 - Marine energy - Wave, tidal and other water current converters
• Drafting Committee: ahG 17 - TC 114/ahG 17
• Current Stage: PPUB - Publication issued
• Start Date: 22-Sep-2020
• Completion Date: 08-Sep-2020

Overview

IEC TS 62600-4:2020 - Marine energy: Specification for establishing qualification of new technology defines the Technology Qualification (TQ) process for wave, tidal and other water‑current converters. The Technical Specification sets out requirements for generating evidence and reasoned arguments that a marine renewable technology will perform reliably in its target operating environment, within defined limits and with an acceptable level of confidence. The output of the process is the Technology Qualification Plan (TQP) used to support IECRE certification and to guide testing, verification and risk control activities.

Key topics and requirements

• Purpose: Provide practices and technical requirements for technology qualification to support IECRE conformity assessment.
• Evidence-based assessment: Establish an independent review basis and collect arguments and data demonstrating reliable operation.
• Process stages: Includes preparing the qualification basis, system decomposition, component/element integration, technology assessment, determination of degree of novelty, risk assessment, criticality assessment and development/updating of the TQP.
• Risk techniques: Recommends structured risk analysis (e.g., FMECA, HAZOP references) to identify failure modes, mechanisms and required controls.
• Readiness levels: Uses Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) and Integration Readiness Levels (IRL) (defined in annexes) to characterise maturity and integration status.
• Reporting: Specifies required content of the TQ report and restrictions for transparent communication of limitations and evidence.
• Annexes: Provide guidance on FMECA, TRL/IRL definitions, assessing overall TRL and an overview/template for a Technology Qualification Plan.

Applications and practical value

• Early-stage certification planning: Use TQ at project start to identify novel elements, uncertainties and testing needs before formal certification.
• Design and risk reduction: Inform design choices, validation tests and risk control measures to improve reliability and reduce time to market.
• Investor and stakeholder assurance: Produce documented evidence for financiers, insurers and regulators that novel marine energy technologies have been systematically qualified.
• Integration guidance: Help OEMs and system integrators demonstrate how new components interact within existing systems using IRL and TRL metrics.

Who should use this standard

• Marine renewable technology developers and designers
• Certification and conformity assessment bodies (IECRE)
• Testing and calibration laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025 aligned)
• Project managers, integrators, insurers and investors evaluating technology risk

Related standards

• IEC TS 62600-1 (vocabulary)
• IEC TS 62600-2 (assumed use of Technology Qualification)
• IEC 31010, IEC 61882 and ISO/IEC 17025/17065 (referenced risk and conformity documents)

Keywords: IEC TS 62600-4:2020, technology qualification, marine energy, wave converters, tidal converters, IECRE, Technology Qualification Plan, TRL, IRL, FMECA, risk assessment.

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC TS 62600-4 ®
Edition 1.0 2020-09
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATION
Marine energy – Wave, tidal and other water current converters –
Part 4: Specification for establishing qualification of new technology

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IEC TS 62600-4 ®
Edition 1.0 2020-09
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATION
Marine energy – Wave, tidal and other water current converters –

Part 4: Specification for establishing qualification of new technology

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 27.140 ISBN 978-2-8322-8743-9

– 2 – IEC TS 62600-4:2020 © IEC 2020
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
INTRODUCTION . 6
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 7
3 Terms,definitions and abbreviated terms . 7
3.1 Terms and definitions . 8
3.2 Abbreviatied terms . 9
4 Independent review . 9
5 Technology qualification overview . 9
6 Stages of the Technology Qualification process . 11
6.1 General . 11
6.2 Role of independent reviewer in the process . 11
6.3 Prepare Qualification Basis . 11
6.4 Prepare system decomposition . 11
6.5 Integration of technology components / elements . 11
6.6 Implement technology assessment . 11
6.7 Determining degree of novelty of technology . 12
6.8 Risk assessment . 12
6.9 Terms of reference for criticality assessment of validated technology. 13
6.10 Criticality assessment . 13
6.11 Develop Technology Qualification Plan . 13
6.12 Updating the Technology Qualification Plan . 13
7 Reporting the TQ process . 13
7.1 Report content . 13
7.2 Restrictions . 14
Annex A (informative) Use of FMECA for technology qualification . 15
A.1 General . 15
A.2 Risk matrix . 15
Annex B (informative) Definition of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) . 17
Annex C (informative) Definition of Integration Readiness Levels (IRL) . 19
Annex D (informative) Assessing the overall Technology Readiness Levels . 20
Annex E (informative) Overview of a Technology Qualification Plan . 22
E.1 General . 22
E.2 Elements of a Technology Qualification Plan (TQP) . 22
Bibliography . 24

Figure 1 – Technology Qualification process . 10
Figure D.1 – Interaction between TRL and IRL (example) . 20
Figure D.2 – Determination of the modified TRL . 21

Table 1 – Technology classes . 9
Table A.1 – Probability of occurrence. 15
Table A.2 – Classification of consequence . 15

Table A.3 – Categories of risk . 16
Table B.1 – Description of Technology Readiness Levels . 17
Table C.1 – Description of Integration Readiness Levels . 19

– 4 – IEC TS 62600-4:2020 © IEC 2020
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
MARINE ENERGY – WAVE, TIDAL
AND OTHER WATER CURRENT CONVERTERS –

Part 4: Specification for establishing qualification of new technology

FOREWORD
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The main task of IEC technical committees is to prepare International Standards. In
exceptional circumstances, a technical committee may propose the publication of a Technical
Specification when
• the required support cannot be obtained for the publication of an International Standard,
despite repeated efforts, or
• the subject is still under technical development or where, for any other reason, there is the
future but no immediate possibility of an agreement on an International Standard.
Technical Specifications are subject to review within three years of publication to decide
whether they can be transformed into International Standards.
IEC TS 62600-4, which is a Technical Specification, has been prepared by IEC technical
committee TC 114: Marine energy – Wave, tidal and other water current converters.

The text of this Technical Specification is based on the following documents:
DTS Report on voting
114/346/DTS 114/365A/RVDTS
Full information on the voting for the approval of this Technical Specification can be found in
the report on voting indicated in the above table.
This document has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
A list of all parts in the IEC 62600 series, published under the general title Marine energy –
Wave, tidal and other water current converters, can be found on the IEC website.
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until
the stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data
related to the specific publication. At this date, the publication will be
• transformed into an International standard,
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
– 6 – IEC TS 62600-4:2020 © IEC 2020
INTRODUCTION
Certification normally qualifies technology against existing standards to confirm compliance.
Technology Qualification (TQ) differs from ordinary certification in that it allows systems to be
qualified that do not conform to an existing standard (or may partially conform to an existing
standard). The approaches to Technology Qualification by several Certification Bodies are in
the references listed in the Bibliography.
Technology Qualification is used both when the technology is completely novel and when only
parts of it are novel. For example, some technologies may have been mostly demonstrated in
the past, but may have some subsystems which may be novel. Technology Qualification can
help developers demonstrate that the technology has been properly developed and this can
be of assistance to stakeholders (such as financial institutions).
The deliverable associated with this process is the Technology Qualification Plan (TQP).

MARINE ENERGY – WAVE, TIDAL
AND OTHER WATER CURRENT CONVERTERS –

Part 4: Specification for establishing qualification of new technology

1 Scope
This part of IEC 62600 specifies the requirements of the technology qualification process for
marine renewable technologies. Technology Qualification is a process of providing evidence
and arguments to support claims that the technology under assessment will function reliably
in a target operating environment within specific limits and with an acceptable level of
confidence.
The Technology Qualification process is also assumed in IEC TS 62600-2: 2019.
The objective of this document is to provide the necessary practices and technical
requirements, regarding technology qualification methodology, to support the needs of the
IECRE certification process for marine renewables energy systems. Technology Qualification
may be performed at the beginning of the certification process to identify the uncertainties,
novelties, and modes of failure, mechanisms of failure, risks and risk control measures. In
addition, Technology Qualification will identify the standards that are applicable, to what
extent and what adaptation to the technology is required to address the risks. The Technology
Qualification Plan is the deliverable arising from this process and it will provide all necessary
actions to achieve certification.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their
content constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition
cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including
any amendments) applies.
IEC 31010:2009, Risk management – Risk assessment techniques
IEC 61882:2016, Hazard and operability studies (HAZOP studies) – Application guide
IEC TS 62600-1, Marine energy – Wave, tidal and other water current converters – Part 1:
Vocabulary
ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration
laboratories
ISO/IEC 17065, Conformity assessment – requirements for bodies certifying products
processes and services
ISO 17776:2016, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Offshore production installations –
Major accident hazard management during the design of new installations
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in IEC TS 62600-1 and the
following apply.
– 8 – IEC TS 62600-4:2020 © IEC 2020
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3.1 Terms and definitions
3.1.1
application area
environmental conditions, maintenance conditions, or operating parameters which a
subsystem or component within the technology is operating within
3.1.2
independent review basis
requirements for a product’s components, assemblies or systems specifications including:
operating conditions; performance targets and reliability targets
Note 1 to entry: These form the basis against which the product, component, assembly or system will be
assessed during Technology Qualification. It covers Demonstrated, Limited field history and New or Unproven
technology.
3.1.3
technology qualification plan
document created at the conclusion of the definition phase. This document covers both novel
aspects and aspects which fully conform to existing codes and standards
Note 1 to entry: This includes the standards and certification levels agreed upon for the product, component,
assembly and/or system, and the testing plan as defined by the qualification methods. The document contains the
plan for all actions to be carried out during the certification process detailed in these procedures.
3.1.4
technology: degrees of novelty
level of maturity to which a knowhow is classified as Validated
Note 1 to entry: The degree of technology novelty combined with where/how the technology is applied
(Application Area) is classified in categories to be used as input to a risk assessment.
3.1.4.1
validated technology
knowhow that has a documented track record of operation within a defined environment
Note 1 to entry: This documentation provides confidence in the technology from practical operations (including
testing), with respect to the ability of the technology to meet the specified requirements and is technology that has
been used in the industry for many years with modes of failure and failure mechanisms identified and controlled by
design, fabrication, testing and maintenance requirements provided in standards or industry practice.
3.1.4.2
limited field history technology
knowhow that has been used in a limited range of applications and conditions
Note 1 to entry: The technology has limited statistical basis and track record to clearly conclude that there are no
new technical uncertainties to be identified. Standards and procedures may not have already been developed to
address the technology.
3.1.4.3
new or unproven technology
knowhow that is not demonstrated or has no track record
Note 1 to entry: The failure modes and mechanisms of failure are not known or there is limited understanding of
how the technology can fail and the safety margins needed to avoid failures. The technology has significant
uncertainties.
3.1.5
Technology Qualification
TQ
process for identifying and providing the evidence that the technology will function reliably
within specified limits and with an acceptable level of confidence
3.2 Abbreviated terms
API American Petroleum Institute
DOE Department of Energy (US)
ME Marine Energy
TRL Technology Readiness Levels
IRL Integration Readiness Levels
RPN Risk Priority Number
4 Independent review
ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO/IEC 17065 outline the management of the processes for independent
bodies participating in TQ and certification and should be referenced, if guidance is needed.
The standards which are used as part of the independent review process should be those
which are recognised by industry as being representative of current best practice.
5 Technology qualification overview
The Technology Qualification process uses a risk-based approach to verify that the
technology meets its intended Qualification Basis. It is usually used for technology which is
novel or technology which incorporates novel aspects. The Technology Qualification process
comprises the modules as shown in Figure 1.
The subsystems / components in Table 1 are divided into the following classes:
1) Class 1: No new technical uncertainties
2) Class 2: New technical uncertainties
3) Class 3: New technical risks
4) Class 4: Demanding new technical risks
Table 1 – Technology classes
Application area Technology: degrees of novelty
Validated Limited field history New or unproven
a a a
(modified TRL 7-9) (modified TRL 4-6) (modified TRL 1-3)
Known 1 2 3
New 2 3 4
a
See Annex D for details.
Validated technology operating in a known application is considered technology classified as
Class 1 with no new technical uncertainties. All other classes reflect varying levels of
technology novelty and application uncertainty.

– 10 – IEC TS 62600-4:2020 © IEC 2020
All systems, subsystems, components and development phases (from design and
manufacturing through to decommissioning) should be considered: New technology
(Classes 2 to 4) shall be subject to technology qualification: validated technology (class 1) will
be subject to criticality assessment using existing standards: Class 2 items normally require
only design studies to mitigate risks and Class 3 and 4 items should normally require testing
in addition to design studies.

Figure 1 – Technology Qualification process

6 Stages of the Technology Qualification process
6.1 General
This clause provides explanatory guidance and the deliverables required for the activities
given in Figure 1. With the exception of developing a Technology Qualification Plan, this is
usually done in a workshop.
The TQ process targets the requirements, assumptions and methodologies essential for the
evaluation of: design parameters, assumptions, methodologies and principles concerning a
new technology. In the risk-based approach to TQ, elements such as conditions for
manufacturing, transportation, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance and
decommissioning shall also be considered.
6.2 Role of independent reviewer in the process
The role of an independent reviewer should be provided prior to an independent review being
conducted.
6.3 Prepare Qualification Basis
The qualification basis sets out the requirements for the device. It should document the
specifications, operating conditions, performance targets and reliability targets. Examples of
qualification requirements include: energy efficiency; performance; reliability; cost per unit
energy; strength to stress ratio; etc. The qualification basis is used to assess the device
during the technology assessment and risk assessment phases.
6.4 Prepare system decomposition
Once the Qualification Basis document has been completed, the next activity is to break down
the technology into distinct subsystems / components that can be individually assessed for
their maturity based upon the degree of novelty described in Annex B. The system
decomposition should clarify one or more of the following:
• Subsystems and components including their functions.
• Project execution phases (e.g. manufacturing, installation, operation and
decommissioning).
Each of the subsystems or components above may include hardware, firmware and software.
The process outlined shall cover all phases of the life cycle of the system, subsystem or
component. The only output of this step is a breakdown of the technology into distinct parts
that can be individually assessed for their maturity / novelty which will enable the associated
risks to be identified.
6.5 Integration of technology components/elements
For each distinct subsystem/component within a system, the integration of that distinct
subsystem/component with others shall be considered. To aid this, the IRL table (Annex C)
outlines distinct levels of integration that may be present between subsystems / components.
Unless the IRL is high (levels 8-9), it is expected that this will have an impact on the TRL
levels of subsystems/components. This assessment can be done qualitatively during a
Technology Qualification workshop or a quantitative approach can be used. Methods for
assessing the impact of integration readiness on the TRL levels of subsystems/ components
are outlined in Annex D.
6.6 Implement technology assessment
Validated technology shall be documented in accordance with recommended practices and
relevant international standards.

– 12 – IEC TS 62600-4:2020 © IEC 2020
Temporary phases such as installati
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