Offshore Wind Opportunities and Challenges

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Offshore Wind Opportunities and Challenges
University of Massachusetts Fall
2006 Environmental Lecture Series October 30,
2006
Greg Watson Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative watson_at_masstech.org
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The Need for Change and Choice

• Global Population Growth
• Energy Consumption50 by 2020
• Fossil Reserves ?
• Environmental Impact?
• Alternatives ?

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Context
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Disproportionate Consumption
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World Electricity Production by Source
Source ObservER
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Structure of Electricity Production
Source ObservER
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Conventional Sources
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Environmental Justice
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Renewable Energy Technologies

• Solar photovoltaic
• Solar thermal electric energy
• Wind turbine
• Ocean Thermal
• Ocean wave or tidal
• Landfill gas
• Waste-to-energy

• Naturally flowing water hydroelectric
• Low emission, advanced biomass
• Storage conversion
• Fuel cells

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The Nuclear Option

• James Lovelock
• Co-developer, Gaia Hypothesis
• Stewart Brand
• Publisher, Whole Earth Catalog
• Patrick Moore
• Co-founder, Greenpeace

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Wind Capacity / Cost Trendsin the United States
Cost of Energy and Cumulative Domestic Capacity
Capacity (MW)
Cost of Energy (cents/kWh)
Year 2000 dollars
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Turbine Size
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Current State of Offshore Wind

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Offshore Projects (2004)
160 MW Offshore Farm Horns Rev, North Sea
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11,455 MW Proposed Offshore Through 2010
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Proposed US Offshore Activity

• Cape Wind
• 420 MW Nantucket Sound (Massachusetts)
• Long Island Power Authority
• 140MW off the coast of Jones Beach (New York)
• Winergy LLC
• Applied for numerous permits along East Coast
• Southern
• To determine if offshore wind power is a feasible
  renewable energy option for the Mid-Atlantic. The
  project concept is expected to include three to
  five wind turbines that could generate 10
  megawatts of power,.
• Venice, Louisiana
• Wind Energy Systems Technology and GT Energy have
  signed an agreement to develop up to 500 MW of
  offshore wind power in the Gulf of Mexico,
  utilizing decommissioned oil drilling platforms.
• Corpus Christi, Texas
• Alternative Energy Institute and the General Land
  Office of Texas (GLO) teamed up to install a wind
  monitoring station on offshore oil platform.

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Why Go Offshore?
Windy land is not always near load centers
Grid is not set up for long interstate electric
transmission
Load centers are close to the ocean
US Offshore Wind Resource
Graphic Credit Bruce Bailey AWS Truewind
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U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Resource
Exclusions 0 to 5 nm 100 5 to 20 nm
67 20 to 50 nm 33 Accounts for avian,
marine mammal, view shed, restricted habitats,
shipping routes other habitats.
Resource not yet assessed
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US Continental Shelf
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West Coast Offshore Wind Resource
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Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind Resource
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there may be, conservatively speaking, more
than 100 gigawatts of capacity just off of New
England
David Garman, Acting Under Secretary, U.S.
DOE The Energy Daily, August 30, 2004
New England Offshore Wind Resource
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UMass Leadership in N.E.
William Heronemus
James Manwell
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Other Factors

• Factors in the environment that can affect
  design, performance, or operation
• External Conditions most relevant to offshore
  wind turbines
• Wind
• Waves
• Ice
• Others currents, temperature, salinity, marine
  growth, lightning

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Offshore Wind Technology Challenges

• The Key Differences between onshore and offshore
  
• Hydro-dynamic loads wind loads
• Highly corrosive salt-laden air
• Dehumidification required to prevent equipment
  deterioration
• Remote, difficult access - autonomous operation
  essential
• Visual aesthetics and noise pollution less
  problematic than on land
• Turbine lower of costs offshore

 
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Cape Wind
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This proposal, made by this group, is no aging
hippie pipe dream. This is serious
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January 20, 2002
Wrong place for a wind farm
Wind farms as renewable energy sources are worth
developing. But the current site is the wrong
place for such an industrial project.
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Extensive Review
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Offsh0re Wind Collaborative

• A principal focus is to broaden the wind resource
  potential through exploration of deep water and
  far offshore technologies.
• Goal To overcome the barriers to generating and
  delivering electricity from U.S. offshore wind
  farms at a competitive cost by the beginning of
  the next decade.

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Collaborative Approach Required to Develop
Resource
Many Technology Needs
Offshore wind energy calls for a broad-based,
focused, coordinated approach to planning,
research and development, and policy
development. U.S. DOE
Many Stakeholders
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Process

• Consult with key parties to identify key issues
  and obstacles to a sustainable offshore wind
  industry.
• Develop a Framework that identifies opportunities
  to take advantage of and barriers to overcome
  that will lead to successful offshore wind
  development in the US.
• Design a Organizational Development Plan that
  recommends the organizational structure, funding
  levels and sources, and human resources necessary
  to implement the Framework and realize its
  potential.

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Collaborative Participants

• Government
• MMS - lead regulatory agency
• Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers
• EPA, NOAA, Fish and Wildlife Service
• Department of Energy
• State and Local Jurisdictions
• Industry
• Wind manufacturers and developers
• Offshore oil/gas, general marine
• Utility sector
• Research Community
• National Laboratories
• University and research institutes
• International liaison / coordination

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Pilot Projects
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Framework Developed

• Early 2004 Massachusetts Technology
  Collaborative, General Electric, DOE agreed to
  explore collaboration for development of U.S.
  offshore wind energy
• Early pilot research
• Developed Framework document based on broad
  stakeholder input
• Mid 2005 Framework released addresses
  challenges and outlines for action
• Technology Development
• Environmental Compatibility
• Economic and Financial Viability
• Regulation and Governmental Policies
• Leadership Coordination

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Offshore Wind Collaborative (OWC) Expected
Outcomes
Stimulate Marine Industry

• Expand viable resource base into deeper waters
• Expand ability to site beyond the horizon
• Inter-disciplinary, multi-sector partnerships to
  reduce cost
• Establish US technological operational
  leadership
• Include wind as a part of the ocean management
  dialogue
• Develop industry in a way that improves our
  nations marine resources

Protect the Ocean and Environment
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Wind Turbines

• GE 1.5 MW
• 77 M Rotor Diameter
• 50-100 M Tower
• 98 Availability
• Speed 10-20 RPM
• Variable Pitch

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10 MW Turbine Concept

• 180 m rotor diameter
• Downwind 2 blade machine
• Flexible compliant blades
• Flow controlled blades
• High rpm/tip velocity gt 100 m/s
• Gearless direct drive
• Space frame structure
• Multivariable damping controls
• 40 m water depth foundation
• Hurricane ride-thru capability

Can we build it? Do the economics make sense?
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Current Foundation Technology
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Floating Platforms

• Potential for floating wind energy is going to
  depend whether the current cost disadvantages can
  be overcome by the development of innovative
  solutions to constructions and installation

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Location State/Federal Waters

• General Rule
• State Waters up to 3 nautical miles
• Federal Waters gt 3 nautical miles
• (Submerged Lands Act of 1953, 43 U.S.C. 1301 et
  seq.)

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Environmental Siting Concerns

• Migratory birds
• Endangered species
• Migratory bats
• Marine Mammals
• Fish Habitat Displacement

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Economic Siting Issues

• Visual Impacts
• Property Values
• Tourism
• Commercial and recreational boating
• Commercial and recreational fishing
• Aviation/radar

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Options
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Greg Watson Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative watson_at_masstech.org