Offshore Wind Power Roadmap For South Eastern European Economies — Key Steps To Reduce Identified Project Development Costs|Risks|Uncertainties

An Investigation Study



Wind Energy development faces numerous challenges and has become subject to unstable international conditions in economical and social terms. To meet these challenges offshore wind has a key role to play. To sustain public acceptance, establish cost and time effective project development methodologies and provide continued protection to vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems, it is important to build upon the positive experience gained so far with the use of innovative IT planning and development applications. This article describes some of the most significant experiences with offshore wind power and discusses the environmental issues and project development challenges that wind industry has had to address in the near future. The implementation of an innovative IT platform to drive project scoping and identify key issues on the wind energy plants infrastructure is also presented.

In order to develop a perspective on the future of wind power and provide a holistically proposed solution we have analyzed several factors that are positively affecting wind power project development in order to gauge both the potential impact of each variable, as well as the likelihood that the factor will persist for the mediumor long-term. Since wind projects are anticipated to provide investors returns over a 25-to-30 year-life, it is important to assess the likely impact of growth drivers beyond the next few years.

Wind Farm Project Management and the development method- ologies and pratctises associated with the entire life-cycle is not a simple task. There are three key success factors to effectively manage the risks associated with the wind power project devel- opment procedures. Firstly, the use of a proven project delivery methodology, which has been refined over time to minimise project risk. Getting this wrong, whether from a planning, timing, bud- geting, tenders evaluation, accessibility, or safety perspective can be extremely expensive and undermine the business case for the project. Secondly, the need for engineering resources with specific electricity sector experience. This is critical for managing interfaces on the project and ensuring that both the physical and electrical systems are considered.

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Through this confidential investigation conducted by the ANEMORPHOSIS Research Group, a part of this multi-directional report is seeking potential and promising solutions regarding the following key program activity areas: • Technology Development including specific activities to help overcome the technological barriers for offshore wind energy. • Market Barrier Removal including specific activities that will help reduce the impact of non-technical barriers for offshore wind energy. • Crosscutting Offshore Wind Energy Solutions including the ongoing Offshore Wind Advanced Technology. • Demonstration projects and specific activities that will im- prove resource assessment, site characterization, electricity delivery, and grid integration. • Overall Strategy and Impact to broadly consider the offshore wind portfolio performance and path forward for offshore wind energy in the Southeastern European economies.

This study finds that the planned offshore projects LCOEs are likely to be roughly 20% lower by FC 2020 than they would be if installed in 2015, if the expected technological innovation, increased global competition among OSW industry supply chain, and industry- wide efficiencies materialize as anticipated. Moreover, anticipated continuous technological development between FC 2020 and FC 2025 can lower costs by a further, albeit smaller amount (roughly -6%).

With action, offshore wind can further benefit from cost reduc- tion strategies that are inherently local (predevelopment, policy, and infrastructure). The analyses demonstrate that the following PD optimization and IT improvement actions can lower the LCOE by an additional third, and have other significant if not quantifiable impacts.

For more information please contact the author Stavros Thomas
Tel: +30 (0) 2102711221, +45 (0) 50361975
Mob:+30(0) 6976001665
E-mail: info@anemorphosis.com