Offshore wind projects

Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy is the use of wind farms constructed offshore, usually on the continental shelf, to harvest wind energy to generate electricity. Higher wind speeds are available offshore compared to on land, so offshore wind power’s contribution in terms of electricity supplied is higher, and NIMBY opposition to construction is usually much weaker. The cost of offshore wind power has historically been higher than that of onshore wind generation, but in 2016 had decreased to €54.5/MWh the 700 MW Borssele 3&4 due to government tender and size. Similarly, €49.90/MWh ($55.34, without transmission) was achieved at the 600 MW Kriegers Flak.

As of 2017, the 630 megawatt (MW) London Array in the United Kingdom is the largest offshore wind farm in the world. All the largest offshore wind farms are currently in northern Europe. Larger projects are in the planning stage, including Dogger Bank at 4,800 MW, Norfolk Bank (7,200 MW), and Irish Sea (4,200 MW). At the end of June 2013 total European combined offshore wind energy capacity was 6,040 MW. UK installed 513.5 MW offshore windpower in the first half year of 2013.

Offshore wind power refers to the construction of wind farms in bodies of water to generate electricity from wind. Unlike the typical usage of the term "offshore" in the marine industry, offshore wind power includes inshore water areas such as lakes, fjords and sheltered coastal areas, utilizing traditional fixed-bottom wind turbine technologies, as well as deeper-water areas utilizing floating wind turbines.

The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory has further defined offshore wind power based on its siting in terms water depth to include shallow water, transitional water, and deep water offshore wind power.

Europe is the world leader in offshore wind power, with the first offshore wind farm (Vindeby) being installed in Denmark in 1991. In 2013, offshore wind power contributed to 1,567 MW of the total 11,159 MW of wind power capacity constructed that year. By January 2014, 69 offshore wind farms had been constructed in Europe with an average annual rated capacity of 482 MW in 2013, and as of January 2014 the United Kingdom has by far the largest capacity of offshore wind farms with 3,681 MW. Denmark is second with 1,271 MW installed and Belgium is third with 571 MW. Germany comes fourth with 520 MW, followed by the Netherlands (247 MW), Sweden (212 MW), Finland (26 MW), Ireland (25 MW), Spain (5 MW), Norway (2 MW) and Portugal (2 MW). By January 2014, the total installed capacity of offshore wind farms in European waters had reached 6,562 MW.

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Wikipedia