Multi-Parameter Approach for the Selection of preferred offshore Power Grids for Wind Energy

Abstract

Western Europe is heavily investing in offshore wind power, but the
costs of these wind farms remain high. For that reason, current
transmission grids for offshore wind energy are predominately radial to
reduce investment cost. To date, selection approaches of offshore grid
configurations are mainly based on the level of reliability. This paper
introduces an alternative selection approach to comprehensively assess
the net present value (NPV) of near-shore power grids. The assessment
encompasses, among others, a load flow analysis, as well as the
sensitivities to parameters like failure rates, repair times and energy
prices, for different grid configurations (i.e. radial/ meshed). A case
study of the Dutch offshore transmission system shows that this approach
helps in finding a suitable tradeoff between lowest feasible NPV, while
also improving the reliability (in terms of reduced lost energy) of the
offshore grid.