scholarly journals Accelerating deployment of offshore wind energy alter wind climate and reduce future power generation potentials

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naveed Akhtar ◽  
Beate Geyer ◽  
Burkhardt Rockel ◽  
Philipp S. Sommer ◽  
Corinna Schrum
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Energy ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea

AbstractThe European Union has set ambitious CO2 reduction targets, stimulating renewable energy production and accelerating deployment of offshore wind energy in northern European waters, mainly the North Sea. With increasing size and clustering, offshore wind farms (OWFs) wake effects, which alter wind conditions and decrease the power generation efficiency of wind farms downwind become more important. We use a high-resolution regional climate model with implemented wind farm parameterizations to explore offshore wind energy production limits in the North Sea. We simulate near future wind farm scenarios considering existing and planned OWFs in the North Sea and assess power generation losses and wind variations due to wind farm wake. The annual mean wind speed deficit within a wind farm can reach 2–2.5 ms−1 depending on the wind farm geometry. The mean deficit, which decreases with distance, can extend 35–40 km downwind during prevailing southwesterly winds. Wind speed deficits are highest during spring (mainly March–April) and lowest during November–December. The large-size of wind farms and their proximity affect not only the performance of its downwind turbines but also that of neighboring downwind farms, reducing the capacity factor by 20% or more, which increases energy production costs and economic losses. We conclude that wind energy can be a limited resource in the North Sea. The limits and potentials for optimization need to be considered in climate mitigation strategies and cross-national optimization of offshore energy production plans are inevitable.

scholarly journals A Spatial Analysis of the Potentials for Offshore Wind Farm Locations in the North Sea Region: Challenges and Opportunities

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gusatu ◽  
Yamu ◽  
Zuidema ◽  
Faaij
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
The North ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The North Sea

Over the last decade, the accelerated transition towards cleaner means of producing energy has been clearly prioritised by the European Union through large-scale planned deployment of wind farms in the North Sea. From a spatial planning perspective, this has not been a straight-forward process, due to substantial spatial conflicts with the traditional users of the sea, especially with fisheries and protected areas. In this article, we examine the availability of offshore space for wind farm deployment, from a transnational perspective, while taking into account different options for the management of the maritime area through four scenarios. We applied a mixed-method approach, combining expert knowledge and document analysis with the spatial visualisation of existing and future maritime spatial claims. Our calculations clearly indicate a low availability of suitable locations for offshore wind in the proximity of the shore and in shallow waters, even when considering its multi-use with fisheries and protected areas. However, the areas within 100 km from shore and with a water depth above –120 m attract greater opportunities for both single use (only offshore wind farms) and multi-use (mainly with fisheries), from an integrated planning perspective. On the other hand, the decrease of energy targets combined with sectoral planning result in clear limitations to suitable areas for offshore wind farms, indicating the necessity to consider areas with a water depth below –120 m and further than 100 km from shore. Therefore, despite the increased costs of maintenance and design adaptation, the multi-use of space can be a solution for more sustainable, stakeholder-engaged and cost-effective options in the energy deployment process. This paper identifies potential pathways, as well as challenges and opportunities for future offshore space management with the aim of achieving the 2050 renewable energy targets.

scholarly journals On the effects of inter-farm interactions at the offshore wind farm Alpha Ventus

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 1455-1472
Author(s):  
Vasilis Pettas ◽  
Matthias Kretschmer ◽  
Andrew Clifton ◽  
Po Wen Cheng
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Layer Flow

Abstract. The energy transition means that more and more wind farms are being built in favorable offshore sites like the North Sea. The wind farms affect each other as they interact with the boundary layer flow. This phenomenon is a topic of current research by the industry and academia as it can have significant technical and financial impacts. In the present study, we use data from the Alpha Ventus wind farm site to investigate the effects of inter-farm interactions. Alpha Ventus is the first offshore German wind farm located in the North Sea with a fully equipped measurement platform, FINO1, in the near vicinity. We look at the effects on the wind conditions measured at FINO1 before and after the beginning of operation of the neighboring farms. We show how measured quantities like turbulence intensity, wind speed distributions, and wind shear are evolving from the period when the park was operating alone in the area to the period when farms were built and operate in close proximity (1.4–15 km). Moreover, we show how the wind turbine's response in terms of loads and generator and pitch activity is affected using data from a turbine that is in the vicinity of the mast. The results show the wake effects in the directions influenced by the wind farms according to their distance with increased turbulence intensity, reduced wind speeds, and increased structural loading.

Regulating Offshore Energy Sources in the North Sea—Reinventing the Wheel or a Need for More Coordination?

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 716-737
Author(s):  
Hannah Katharina Müller ◽  
Martha M. Roggenkamp
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Offshore Wind Energy ◽  
Transmission Grid ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Petroleum Sector

In this article we examine the legal frameworks for developing oil, gas and wind energy in the North Sea. We discuss whether there are parallels to be seen and lessons to be learned from these different sectors and suggest that experience in the offshore petroleum sector could be used to improve the evolving legal regimes for offshore wind energy. For this purpose, we first examine the legal basis for offshore activities under the international law of the sea. Subsequently, we discuss the regulation of oil and gas exploitation and the regulation of offshore wind energy. We focus in particular on the way in which energy sources are transported to shore via pipelines and cables. We consider whether comparable decisions have been made when establishing a legal regime for offshore wind and whether lessons could still be learned. This is particularly relevant for the future when the production of offshore wind energy and the production of petroleum need to be coordinated, and when sizable amounts of offshore wind energy will be integrated into the (offshore) transmission grid.

scholarly journals Storm Anatol over Europe in December 1999: impacts on societal and energy infrastructure

2021 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 141-153
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Kettle
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Storm Surge ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Rogue Waves ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Forest Damage ◽  
Offshore Wind Energy ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Storm Anatol impacted the North Sea and northern Europe on 3–4 December 1999. It brought hurricane force winds to Denmark and northern Germany, and high winds also in Sweden and countries around the Baltic Sea. For many meteorological stations in Denmark, the wind speeds were the highest on record and the storm was ranked as a century event. The storm impacts included extensive forest damage, fatalities, hundreds of injuries, power outages, transportation interruptions, as well as storm surge flooding on the west coast of Denmark. Strongly committed to wind energy, Denmark lost 13 onshore wind turbines destroyed during the storm. An important industry insurer noted that this was a remarkably low number, considering the storm intensity and the large number of turbines (>3500) installed in the country. In 1999, offshore wind energy was just getting started in Europe, and the storm provided an important test of environmental extreme conditions impacting offshore infrastructure. This contribution takes a closer look at the regional met-ocean conditions during the storm. A brief overview is made of the wind field and available wave measurements from the North Sea. An examination is made of water level measurements from around the North Sea to characterize the storm surge and identify possible meteo-tsunamis and infragravity waves. Offshore accidents are briefly discussed to assess if there had been unusual wave strikes on shipping or platforms. At the time of the storm in 1999, there was a growing awareness in the scientific community of possible changes in ambient sea state conditions and the increasing threat of rogue waves. The offshore wind energy community had become aware from the impact of rogue waves from damage at the research platform FINO1 in the southern North Sea during severe storms in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2013. Storm Anatol may have been another rogue wave storm at an earlier stage of offshore wind energy development.

scholarly journals Temporal patterns in offshore bird abundance during the breeding season at the Dutch North Sea coast

2021 ◽  
Vol 168 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens A. van Erp ◽  
E. Emiel van Loon ◽  
Kees J. Camphuysen ◽  
Judy Shamoun-Baranes
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea

AbstractThe expanding development of offshore wind farms brings a growing concern about the human impact on seabirds. To assess this impact a better understanding of offshore bird abundance is needed. The aim of this study was to investigate offshore bird abundance in the breeding season and model the effect of temporally predictable environmental variables. We used a bird radar, situated at the edge of a wind farm (52.427827° N, 4.185345° E), to record hourly aerial bird abundance at the North Sea near the Dutch coast between May 1st and July 15th in 2019 and 2020, of which 1879 h (51.5%) were analysed. The effect of sun azimuth, week in the breeding season, and astronomic tide was evaluated using generalized additive modelling. Sun azimuth and week in the breeding season had a modest and statistically significant (p < 0.001) effect on bird abundance, while astronomic tide did not. Hourly predicted abundance peaked after sunrise and before sunset, and abundance increased throughout the breeding season until the end of June, after which it decreased slightly. Though these effects were significant, a large portion of variance in hourly abundance remained unexplained. The high variability in bird abundance at scales ranging from hours up to weeks emphasizes the need for long-term and continuous data which radar technology can provide.

Large Scale Offshore Wind Energy in the North Sea — A Technology and Policy Perspective

2004 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.J.T. Kooijman ◽  
M. de Noord ◽  
M.A. Uyterlinde ◽  
A.F. Wals ◽  
S.A. Herman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Energy ◽  
Policy Perspective ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea

scholarly journals On the effects of inter-farm interactions at the offshore wind farm Alpha Ventus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasilis Pettas ◽  
Matthias Kretschmer ◽  
Andrew Clifton ◽  
Po Wen Cheng
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Layer Flow

Abstract. The energy transition means that more and more wind farms are being built in favorable offshore sites like the North Sea. The wind farms affect each other as they interact with the boundary layer flow. This phenomenon is a topic of current research by the industry and academia as it can have significant technical and financial impacts. In this study we use data from the Alpha Ventus wind farm site to investigate the effects of inter-farm interactions. Alpha Ventus is the first offshore German wind farm located at the North Sea with a fully equipped measurement platform FINO1 in the near vicinity. We look at the effects on the wind conditions measured at FINO1 before and after the beginning of operation of the neighboring farms. We show how measured quantities like turbulence intensity, wind speed distributions, and wind shear are evolving from the period where the park was operating alone in the area to the period where farms were built and operate in close proximity (1.4–15 km). Moreover, we show how the wind turbine performance is affected using data from a turbine that is in the vicinity of the mast. The results show the wake effects in the directions influenced by the wind farms according to their distance with increased turbulence intensity, reduced wind speeds, and increased structural loading.

Storm Anatol over Europe in December 1999: impacts on societal and energy infrastructure

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Kettle
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Storm Surge ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Forest Damage ◽  
Offshore Wind Energy ◽  
Large Wave ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea

&lt;p&gt;Storm Anatol impacted the North Sea and northern Europe on 3-4 December 1999. It brought hurricane force winds to Denmark and northern Germany, and high winds also in Sweden and the Baltic states. &amp;#160;For many meteorological stations in Denmark, the wind speeds were the highest on record, and the storm was ranked as a century event. &amp;#160;The storm impacts included extensive forest damage, fatalities, hundreds of injuries, power outages, transportation interruptions, as well as storm surge flooding on the west coast of Denmark. &amp;#160;At the time of the storm, Denmark was strongly committed to wind energy, and approximately 10 onshore wind turbines were destroyed during the storm. &amp;#160;An important industry insurer noted that this was a remarkably low number considering the storm intensity and the large number of turbines (&gt;3500) installed in Denmark. &amp;#160;In 1999, offshore wind energy was just getting started in Europe. &amp;#160;Denmark had just started an environmental monitoring program at Horns Rev off the Danish North Sea coast in advance of an offshore wind farm that would be installed in 2002.&amp;#160; The offshore meteorological mast at Horns Rev survived the storm, but the wave field was significant, and it partially disabled the measurement system.&lt;br&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;br&gt;This contribution takes a closer look at the regional met-ocean conditions during the storm.&amp;#160; A brief overview is made of the wind field and available wave measurements from the North Sea. &amp;#160;A closer examination is made of water level meaurements from around the North Sea to characterize the storm surge and identify possible meteotsunamis and infragravity waves. &amp;#160;Offshore accidents are briefly discussed to assess if there had been unusual wave strikes on shipping or platforms.&amp;#160; At the time of the storm in 1999, there was a growing awareness in the scientific community of possible changes in sea state conditions in the North Atlantic area and the increasing threat of rogue waves.&amp;#160; The offshore wind energy research platform FINO1 near Borkum in the southern North Sea experienced large wave damage during Storm Britta on 1 November 2006.&amp;#160; There was a repetition of the wave damage during storms in 2007 and 2013.&amp;#160; Storm Anatol in 1999 was a major North Sea storm, and this contribution presents a survey to assess if there was unusual wave phenomena during the event.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

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