Wind power makes waves

Offshore wind power capacity only accounts for around one per cent of total wind power capacity globally. Nevertheless, its small share in the global wind park is set to change. Despite its higher costs – around 50 per cent higher than with equivalent onshore developments – offshore wind energy is gaining significant ground. With expected benefits of higher wind speeds leading to higher total electricity production (up to 4000 full load hours rather than 2000-2500 full load hours) and lower visual impact of the larger turbines, offshore units offer attractive advantages over their onshore counterparts. As a result, several countries are developing ambitious offshore wind programmes, significantly altering the balance between land-based and maritime developments.

Europe’s progress to date

At the forefront of these latest developments is Europe, which retains its status as world leader and pioneer in this segment of the wind power market. While wind power only represented 2.3 per cent of total EU installed capacity, Europe’s share in the global offshore wind power capacity amounts to 99 per cent as the continent has 20 projects in operation.

Figure 1: Europe’s offshore wind power installations, 2000A-2010F

The trend becomes also visible when one examines the rise of offshore wind power in the past few years. By the end of 2008, 1473MW of wind turbines were located offshore in the region, an increase of around 30 per cent on the previous year. In 2009, eight new wind farms, comprising 199 turbines and a combined power generating capacity of 577MW, were connected to the grid, a significant 54 per cent advance when compared with the 373MW installed in 2008. This accelerating growth can also be seen in Figure 1 which shows the sector’s take-off since 2005.

Revival of Danish expertise

Wind power pioneer Denmark is leading the way, according to Danish Wind Industry Association figures. The country installed numerous offshore wind turbines, representing a capacity of 237MW (against 97MW in land-based capacity) in 2009. To date, it has 662MW capacity installed in 11 wind parks from Frederikshaven in the north to Nysted in the south of the country. In September last year, it brought the 91-turbine Horns Rev 2 wind farm off the Jutland west coast online, providing power for 200,000 households. At 209MW Horns Rev 2 is the largest offshore wind farm in the world and Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has described it as “an important step in our energy policy” of the energy self-sufficient country. The DKK3.5bn (US$640m) investment overtakes the 166MW Nysted site, also owned by DONG Energy, as the world’s no. 1 wind park.