R&D
structure. In the same way that a ship uses extra weight or ballast to remain stable, the WindFloat uses both fixed ballast and an active ballast system, which keeps the platform stable by moving weight around to counterbalance the forces prevalent in the windy ocean environment. “Offshore wind turbines on semi- submersible foundations can also be assembled on shore and then towed out to sea fully assembled or taken back to shore for repairs, eliminating the need for expensive specialised vessels and reducing maintenance costs,” said Mrs Hartman.
Fishermen’s Energy has also proposed to set up their project as a ‘laboratory at sea’, which will involve the installation of onshore and turbine-mounted sensors to help deepen understanding of the impact of operating multiple turbines offshore as well as how best to utilise controls to operate the entire windfarm. Dominion’s VOWTAP project will also
feature an integrated advanced control system, currently under development by Alstom Power, that Mrs Hartman says will integrate innovative sensors to help maximise energy production through effective monitoring and adjustments to prevent excessive loads on the turbine
that reduce power generation. According to Mrs Hartman, the primary goals of the projects are to achieve large cost reductions over existing offshore wind technologies and develop viable and reliable options for the US. “The demonstrations will help address key challenges associated with installing utility-scale offshore wind turbines, connecting offshore turbines to the power grid and navigating new permitting and approval processes,” she explained. Boasting a potential gross annual
energy resource of around 4,000 gigawatts (GW) – four times the nation’s current annual electricity production – within 50 miles of the US coast, Mrs Hartman believes that offshore wind energy could become a major source of clean energy for coastal and Great Lakes states, which together account for nearly 80 per cent of US electric demand.
She also pointed out that, because
offshore winds generally blow more strongly and consistently than onshore winds, offshore wind turbines are able to operate at higher capacity factors than wind turbines installed on land. She also highlighted the fact that daily offshore wind speed profiles “tend to correspond
The Dominion project will see two Alstom 6MW turbines installed
well to periods of high electricity demand by coastal cities” in such a way that the strongest winds, associated with the highest potential for energy generation, correspond to the periods of greatest electricity demand. “Offshore wind offers advantages in markets with high electricity costs and dependence on high-carbon, price-volatile supplies of fossil fuel for generation,” she concluded. “In states with high electricity rates, offshore wind energy may quickly become cost competitive, [and] the proximity of offshore wind resources to major electrical load centres minimises the need to build new transmission capacity to serve those centres.” OWJ
Massachusetts coast opened for commercial development
In June, the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) also announced that a 742,000 acre zone off the Massachusetts coast had been opened for commercial development. According to Tracey Moriarty, public affairs manager at BOEM, the area in question will be auctioned off as four separate lease areas, and any company interested in participating in the sale is invited to submit a complete qualification package to BOEM by the end of a concurrent public consultation period. BOEM then hopes to publish a final sale notice by the end of 2014, which will announce the date of the lease sale, as well as a list of all companies that will be eligible to participate in it. “This is an important milestone for the US offshore wind industry.
24 I Offshore Wind Journal I 3rd Quarter 2014
The Massachusetts Wind Energy Area is the largest area considered for renewable energy development since the inception of BOEM’s renewable energy programme. It will nearly double the federal offshore acreage available for commercial- scale wind energy projects. As such, we expect significant commercial interest in the upcoming lease sale,” said Mrs Moriarty. To date, the Bureau has awarded
a total of five commercial wind energy leases off the Atlantic coast. These include two so-called non- competitive leases – Cape Wind in Nantucket Sound off Massachusetts and an area off Delaware – and three competitive leases – two offshore Massachusetts and Rhode Island and another offshore Virginia. According to Mrs Moriarty, BOEM is also expecting to hold
competitive auctions for further Wind Energy Areas off the shores of Maryland and New Jersey later this year, with a number of additional areas also currently being considered for wind energy development, including those off the shores of New York, North Carolina and South Carolina. “On the West Coast, we are seeing increased interest in deepwater wind turbine systems offshore Oregon and Hawaii. In Oregon, specifically, we are reviewing a commercial wind lease request from Principle Power, a company that has received funding from the Department of Energy to demonstrate the capabilities of floating wind turbines on the Outer Continental Shelf, deploying new technology successfully tested offshore Portugal,” she concluded.
www.owjonline.com
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