by Current oceanic wind developments around the world
Currently, countries in northern Europe have been at the forefront of developing oceanic wind energy. As of 2021, Europe accounted for over 90% of the world’s total oceanic wind capacity installed. The United Kingdom has become a leader in this sector, with over 10 gigawatts (GW) of oceanic wind power capacity installed to date. Some of the largest oceanic wind farms in operation include:
– London Array in the UK, with a capacity of 630 megawatts (MW), was the largest oceanic wind farm in the world for a period of time.
– Gemini Wind Park in the Dutch North Sea has a total capacity of 600 MW across its 150 turbines.
– East Anglia ONE wind farm off the coast of Suffolk, UK, has a 714 MW capacity from 102 turbines.
Apart from northern Europe, China has also made big strides in developing its domestic oceanic wind sector. By the end of 2021, China had over 3.1 GW of installed oceanic wind capacity and has set ambitious targets to reach over 20 GW by 2025.
Challenges associated with oceanic wind projects
While Offshore Wind presents an abundant renewable energy resource, developing projects also comes with unique economic and technical challenges compared to onshore wind. Some key challenges include:
– Higher installation and construction costs due to working in marine environments which require specialized vessels and equipment. Foundation and cable installation make up a large portion of capital expenditure for offshore projects.
– Logistical difficulties related to transporting and assembling large turbine components offshore. Complex installation works need to be carried out efficiently to minimize project delays.
– Harsher weather conditions like waves, storms and saltwater corrosion can affect operations and maintenance activities over the operational life of projects. This increases long-term costs.
– Deeper waters beyond 30 meters present the challenge of developing new foundation technologies to securely anchor turbines. Floating turbines are an emerging solution.
– Grid integration offshore requires high-voltage underwater transmission cables to bring power ashore, which involves substantial investment and technical expertise.
– Public acceptance of visual impacts and concerns around effects on marine environment and fisheries need to be addressed during the planning process for new projects.
Opportunities for new markets to emerge
Despite the current high costs compared to other renewable technologies, Offshore Wind power holds vast untapped potential as costs are projected to fall significantly over the next decade driven by technological advancements, supply chain build-up and economies of scale. Some opportunities on the horizon include:
– The US has enormous oceanic wind resources along its Eastern Seaboard and Great Lakes. So far a few pilot projects have been installed but states have set ambitious targets to ramp up development over the 2020s and 2030s. This represents a huge new growth market.
– Asia-Pacific countries like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are starting to develop their offshore potential to meet climate goals and energy security needs. Multi-GW projects are in the early planning stages across East Asia.
– The rapidly falling costs of oceanic wind and improvements in turbine technology will make deeper waters beyond 30 meters commercially viable worldwide. This will open up an even larger developable resource base.
– Countries with small land areas but large exclusive economic zones, such as some European nations and city-states, have to rely predominantly on offshore capacity additions going forward. Floating turbines will play a key role.
– Green hydrogen production using oceanic wind power provides scope for new business models and diversification of renewable energy applications beyond just electricity.
Future outlook for clean power at sea
While Offshore Wind has enabled deployment of renewable energy at a utility-scale so far, it has barely scratched the surface of its full global potential. As technologies mature and projects continue to be rolled out at ever larger capacities, the levelized cost of oceanic wind energy is projected to fall by over 50% between 2020–2030. Coupled with rising carbon prices in key markets, clean power from the sea is set to become increasingly cost-competitive relative to other new-build energy sources. International targets to limit global warming underline the critical role oceanic wind must play going forward for decarbonizing the electricity sectors worldwide in line with climate change mitigation goals. With the right policy support, application of innovation, and scaling up of supply chains—the next decade will see unprecedented growth in harnessing the immense untapped clean energy resource offered by winds over oceans.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public Source, Desk Research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
About Author - Priya Pandey
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