www.abb.com WIND POWER 9 www.power-mag.com Issue 3 2023 Power Electronics Europe Technologies to harness wind power for net zero The offshore wind industry has a major role to play in reducing carbon emissions, but the industry faces a number of challenges. ABB Energy Industries discusses some technology developments which are being increasingly used to tackle these for a reliable sustainable renewable source. A combination of environmental, economic, and geopolitical factors is leading many countries to consider new forms of power generation. Combined with a growing awareness of the need for energy security and greater sustainability, there is a steadily increasing shift towards renewable sources as a means of providing the power needed for everyday life. One such source is wind power. The world’s second biggest renewable energy source after hydropower, wind power accounted for over 6% of global electricity generation in 2022, providing 837 GW of global capacity. That same year saw an extra 77.6 GW of capacity added. This is projected to rise as more countries strive towards achieving net zero carbon emissions. A sector of the industry that has seen considerable growth has been offshore wind. Since the first units were introduced in 1991, improved performance combined with lower technology costs have seen a massive growth offshore turbine projects. The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) estimates that the global market for offshore wind grew by almost 22% per year between 2010 and 2020, while an additional 235 GW of new capacity is expected by 20302. Tackling the challenges of wind Although wind offers significant opportunities for improving both environmental performance and reducing reliance on fossil fuels, companies hoping to harness its full potential face some key challenges. The first is wind’s intermittent nature. Variability in wind conditions and the inherent unpredictability of seasonal weather means that turbines may be operating at peak efficiency when there is less demand or at low efficiency when there is high demand. Periods with low wind speeds will mean that the power from offshore turbines will need to be supplemented by other energy sources. The challenge is to find ways to maximise output and match demand, while also reducing capital investment in the construction of the windfarm and infrastructure, as well as the facility’s operating costs. A number of technologies are helping operators meet these challenges. Improvements in offshore turbine design, including both efficiency and size and the availability of floating designs that enable Figure 1: Using subsea power distribution and conversion technology from the oil and gas industry is helping address the cost and practicality challenges involved in transmitting power from wind turbines back to shore.
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