The (R)evolution of China: Offshore Wind Diffusion

Study Concerning the Expected Dynamics of the Wind Energy Resources in the Iberian Nearshore

The objective of the present study is to show a comprehensive assessment of the wind resource dynamics along the Spanish coastal environment of the Iberian Peninsula. After studying the historical resources (reported at 100 m height) for the 20-year period from 1999 to 2018 by analyzing the ERA5 time series of wind speed data, the 10 locations with highest historical wind resources are considered. For these, the study of the future dynamics for the 30-year period from 2021 to 2050 under the climate change scenario RCP 4.5 is carried out. After further selection, mean and maximum values, as well as the seasonal and monthly variability of the wind power density, are obtained for six locations along the Spanish coasts. Furthermore, a performance and economic dynamics assessment is presented for four different wind turbine technologies with rated capacities ranging between 3 and 9.5 MW. A further comparison with other locations in the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea is presented to provide a critical image of the Spanish wind resources dynamics in the European framework. The results indicate a noticeable gain of wind resources in various locations of the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, with others presenting slight losses.

An Evaluation of the Wind Energy Resources along the Spanish Continental Nearshore

The main objective of the present work is to provide a comprehensive picture of the wind conditions in the Spanish continental nearshore considering a state-of-the-art wind dataset. In order to do this, the ERA5 wind data, covering the 20-year time interval from 1999 to 2018, was processed and evaluated. ERA stands for ’ECMWF Re-Analysis’ and refers to a series of research projects at ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) which produced various datasets. In addition to the analysis of the wind resources (reported for a 100 m height), the performances of several wind turbines, ranging from 3 to 9.5 MW, were evaluated. From the analysis of the spatial maps it was observed that the Northern part of this region presents significant wind resources, the mean wind speed values exceeding 9 m/s in some locations. On the other hand, in regard to the Southern sector, more energetic conditions are visible close to the Strait of Gibraltar and to the Gulf of Lion. Nevertheless, from the analysis of the data corresponding to these two Southern nearshore points it was observed that the average wind speed was lower than 8 m/s in both summer and winter months. Regarding the considered wind turbines, the capacity factor did in general not exceed 20%—however, we did observe some peaks that could reach to 30%. Finally, it can be highlighted that the Northern part of the Spanish continental nearshore is significant from the perspective of extracting offshore wind energy, especially considering the technologies based on floating platforms. Furthermore, because of the clear synergy between wind and wave energy, which are characteristic to this coastal environment, an important conclusion of the present work is that the implementation of joint wind–wave projects might be effective in the Northwestern side of the Iberian nearshore.

Evaluation of Some State-Of-The-Art Wind Technologies in the Nearshore of the Black Sea

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the nearshore wind resources in the Black Sea area by using a high resolution wind database (ERA-Interim). A subsequent objective was to estimate what type of wind turbines and wind farm configurations would be more suitable for this coastal environment. A more comprehensive picture of these resources was provided by including some satellite measurements, which were also used to assess the wind conditions in the vicinity of some already operating European wind projects. Based on the results of the present work, it seems that the Crimea Peninsula has the best wind resources. However, considering the current geopolitical situation, it seems that the sites on the western part of this basin (Romania and Bulgaria) would represent more viable locations for developing offshore wind projects. Since there are currently no operational wind projects in this marine area, some possible configurations for the future wind farms are proposed.