Wind Park Development Research Articles

Assessing cumulative impacts of human-induced pressures on reef and sandbank habitats and associated biotopes in the northeastern Baltic Sea.

Marine ecosystems are impacted by multiple individual and combined anthropogenic pressures. We used meta-analysis and data-driven PlanWise4Blue decision support tool to predict individual and combined impacts of wind park development, nutrient loading, and invasive species on vulnerable reef and sandbank habitats and associated species-specific biotopes in the northeastern Baltic Sea. Many impacts were not statistically significant due to large between-study variance in effect sizes. Wind park development is predicted to have less impact than nutrient loading and invasive species. Predicted impacts varied greatly among larger-scale habitats versus smaller-scale biotopes with impacts being generally stronger at small scale. Excessive nutrient loading damages algae-based biotopes, the presence of nonnative species has substantial negative impacts on larger-scale reef and sandbank habitats. The results showed that a 25 % reduction of nutrient loading improves all examined benthic habitats, whereas nonnative species, which cannot be removed from ecosystems, pose a significant threat to these habitats.

Clean development or the development of dispossession? The political economy of wind parks in Southern Mexico

Through an investigation of the political economy of wind park development in Oaxaca, southern Mexico, I explore the contested meaning of environmental justice. I contend that, despite their seemingly benign image, wind parks in Oaxaca operate within a spatially abstracted, colonial epistemology of capital-centred development. This involves a remaking of space and an appropriation of nature on behalf of capital. Concomitantly, it also involves a process of dispossession for Indigenous communities, foreclosing alternative pathways of development. I contrast this project of place-making with a subaltern-centred conception of environmental justice informed by Indigenous resistance.

Cost-Benefit and Multi-Criteria Analysis of Wind Energy Parks Development Potential in Latvia

Abstract In the last decade the European Union (EU) has been steadily increasing its’ ambition regarding the climate policy. Considering the linkage between the climate targets and energy sector’s greenhouse gas emissions, the EU’s member states are respectively adjusting their energy policies. One of the current trends in the EU is to increase the renewable electricity generation by roll-out of onshore and offshore wind parks. This research aims at evaluating the potential of large-scale wind parks in Latvia by using the cost-benefit and multi-criteria analysis from financial, technical, climate and administrative perspectives as well as considering the impact on security of energy supply. The results of the research show a good potential for onshore wind park development in Latvia without any state aid, while offshore wind parks are in a much worse position and would not be beneficial for the project promoters without any kind of EU or state aid.

Wind and Power in the Anthropocene: Cymene Howe, Ecologics and Dominic Boyer, Energopolitics.

Wind and Power in the AnthropoceneCymene Howe, Ecologics and Dominic Boyer, Energopolitics Nathan Kapoor (bio) In Wind and Power in the Anthropocene, a two-volume "duograph" (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2019. Pp. 600, $49.95), Cymene Howe, in Ecologics, and Dominic Boyer, in Energopolitics, explore the development of wind parks during the early twenty-first century on the isthmus of Tehuantepec. The project grew out of their joint ethnographic research conducted in Mexico between 2009 and 2013. Rather than produce a multiauthored work based on the joint research, they elected to produce two distinct volumes that share a coauthored introduction and conclusion, which creatively present the value of multiple academic perspectives flowing from the same resource. Ecologics examines the failures and successes of the Mareña Renovables Wind Park by surveying the human (advocates, power companies, and international investors) and nonhuman (wind, environment, and animals) "battle" over the wind (p. 44). Using other projects on the isthmus, like the parks around La Ventosa, Energopolitics reviews "aeolian politics" (p. x), and indeed the politics of energy more broadly, as a means of describing how actors engage in politics through energy systems. Besides providing a thought-provoking case study about "alternative energy" in Mexico, their work critically challenges assumptions about the beneficence of wind power during the Anthropocene. In doing so, the authors write not to deter the transition to renewable energy resources but to implore those in power to avoid replicating the exploitative practices of the infrastructures they would replace. Collectively, each volume will be well received by historians of technology, environmental historians, and energy humanists. As the authors suggest, each book can be read alone, together, or interchangeably. Both present clear and distinct narratives about wind power in Mexico. In their [End Page 686] joint preface, Boyer and Howe detail their choice to pursue a duograph, introduce readers to the wind industry in Mexico, summarize their research timeline, and explain the utility of this model of research for ethnographers. One of the most refreshing components of their collaborative and individual writing is the clarity of their position as researchers in this project as they circulated among politicians, indigenous peoples, and corporate officials. It is a necessary exercise, as they argue, for appreciating the entrenchment of the wind in local political and social relations. Howe begins Ecologics, and the project itself, with an exploration of the wind as a "salvation object," or one of humanity's attempts to reverse its Anthropogenic contributions through an energy transition. However, throughout the course of the introduction and in her own work, wind power as the agent of an equitable energy transition becomes a paradox. Proponents of the projects, in line with so many other alternative-energy initiatives around the world, failed to appreciate the extent to which energy is embedded in culture and the environment. A transition to wind power and consequently away from a fossil fuel economy requires an appreciation for human action. It requires the confluence of politics and cosmologies of people, the environment, and inanimate technologies. In order to follow these perspectives on wind power, Howe follows the wind itself. By treating the wind as a subject in her narrative, she is able to chart the connections between people, the environment, and "things" to show that the wind is both the origin of Mareña Renovables and its downfall, the wind park that never was. In "Wind Power, Anticipated," Howe introduces the prevalence of wind on the isthmus. For residents of Tehuantepec, the wind was and remains a boon, a way of life or for some the very cause of life on the isthmus. The presence of the wind cannot go unnoticed, and therefore it is an integral part of life there. By the same token, wind did not escape the notice of the international communities who sought to implant wind farms in the region. Some argued that wind would benefit the local population, but others feared it might negatively impact their way of life, environment, or further expand the influence of external (colonial) authority. As is often the case with moments of energy transition, the presence of conflicting anxieties and hopes about an energy resource led to a...

Finite Element Analysis of Composite Offshore Wind Turbine Blades Under Operating Conditions

Abstract World energy demand has increased immediately and is expected to continue to grow in the foreseeable future. Therefore, an overall change of energy consumption continuously from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, and low service and maintenance price are the benefits of using renewable energies such as using wind turbines as an electricity generator. In this context, offshore wind power refers to the development of wind parks in bodies of water to produce electricity from wind. Better wind speeds are available offshore compared to on land, so offshore wind power's contribution in terms of electricity supplied is higher. However, these structures are very susceptible to degradation of their mechanical properties considering various hostile loads. The scope of this work is the study of the damage noticed in full-scale 48 m fiberglass composite blades for offshore wind turbine. In this paper, the most advanced features currently available in finite element (FE) abaqus/Implicit have been employed to simulate the response of blades for a sound knowledge of the mechanical behavior of the structures and then localize the susceptible sections.

Global offshore wind energy deployment: a geo-clustering approach

ABSTRACTThe availability of wind resources around the world makes it an interesting alternative for clean energy. Offshore wind energy with considerable evolution in technology and investment becomes a sustainable source of renewable energy in the future. Technical feasibility and geographical constraints, demand for energy and the stability of regions for long-term investments and development of wind parks are critical factors in the estimation of offshore wind potential. This paper provides a geo-clustering approach to offshore wind energy to find hotspots around the world. A clustering approach based on neural network is applied to find the segments and the profiles of them. The segmentation is performed based on geographic location, total wind capacity in shallow, transitional and deep water, length of coastline, demand, investment leverage, and risk.

Methodology for Calculating the Potential Maritime Wind Park Area by Taking into Account the Needs of Shipping Sector

Renewable energy sources (wind energy, solar energy, hydroelectricity, ocean energy, geothermal energy, biomass and biofuels) are alternatives to fossil fuel that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, diversify energy supplies and reduce dependency on markets of unsustainable and volatile fossil fuels, particularly oil and gas. Wind energy is one of the renewable energy sources and is considered to be self-renewable as it is the result of the Sun’s activity. Using wind energy is a rapidly developing industry today, and more and more wind turbines are installed worldwide every year, land-based wind turbines being more widespread than offshore ones. In Latvia, spread of land-based wind parks is hampered by unsettled land ownership rights, while the deployment of wind parks in the sea is a new field for all Baltic States. The neighbouring countries Estonia and Lithuania have developed their own projects for offshore wind parks, therefore the topicality of the development of wind farms in the territorial waters of Latvia has also increased. Experts have proposed best options and their locations. When assessing possibilities for development of wind parks and their capacity, the following economic factors were evaluated: construction and connection costs, potential operational costs and energy prices. The aim of this study is to develop the methodology for calculating the area of a potential wind park by considering the safety distance to shipping routes and height of the wind turbines, as well as for calculating the potential capacity of a wind park.

Coherence between marine and land use planning: public attitudes to landscapes in the context of siting a wind park along the Latvian coast of the Baltic Sea

The aim of this paper is to contribute to coherence in marine, coastal and land use planning and management from the perspective of landscape values. At a time when new sea uses are emerging and marine spatial planning laws and regulations are being adopted, but have not yet been put into practice, research studies are required that provide spatial planners with informed insights concerning public stakeholder attitudes to controversial policies. The undertaken research explored the attitudes of two important social groups (local residents and tourists/recreational users) regarding locating wind parks in the marine and/or terrestrial environment along the Latvian coast of the Baltic Sea. The results of the study indicate that both groups support land-based wind park development versus offshore. Moreover, the visibility of wind turbines influences the willingness of tourists to visit recreation sites and impacts directly on their duration of stay. Research findings indicate that policy makers and spatial planners from both marine and land domains should adopt a broader and more integrated approach when setting priorities and allocating space for development activities where both domains are involved.

Waterspouts over the North and Baltic Seas: Observations and climatology, prediction and reporting

On 25 August 2005, three waterspouts were observed close to the research platform FINO1, 45 km off the German North Sea coast and situated in a prospected large offshore wind park area. We analyse this case in relation to the synoptic setting of a waterspout day over the Baltic Sea and compare it to the waterspout climatology of the German Bight and the western and south-western parts of the Baltic Sea. The waterspout hazard to offshore wind parks is assessed as about 1 waterspout per year and per 10 000 km 2 . So, should current scenarios for future wind park development materialise, their large total area may experience a waterspout every other year. The prediction of such events is investigated in view of concepts recently proposed for Mediterranean and western North Sea waterspout forecasting. Reporting issues influencing the climatology encompass both a weekend low in reported events, as well as a bias toward ship routes and main SYNOP times in ship reports. The latter may be mitigated by more reports from yachtsmen.

Prospects of wind farm development in Algeria

This paper utilized wind speed data over a period of almost 10 years between 1977 and 1988 from three stations, Adrar, Timimoun and Tindouf, in order to assess the energy output for a 30 MW installed capacity wind farm at each site in Algeria in terms of gross energy, renewable energy delivered, specific yield and wind farm capacity factor. The energy output analysis was done using three wind energy conversion systems (WECs) of 600, 1000 and 2000 kW rated capacity. The RETScreen model was used to perform the economics feasibility study of the wind farms at these locations. The study concluded that a wind farm consisting of 30 wind turbines of 1 MW rated power each is more feasible for all sites than using other WECSs. Finally, wind park development at Adrar will avoid 45,111 tons of greenhouse gases (GHG) each year and about 1,127,775 tons of GHG over the lifetime of the wind power plant. Similarly, at Timimoun and Tindouf a total of 900,925 and 639,475 tons of GHG could be prevented from entering the local atmosphere of these stations.

Prospects of Wind Farm Development in Algeria

This study utilized wind speed data over a period of almost 10 years between 1977 and 1988 from three stations, namely Adrar, Timimoun and Tindouf in order to assess the energy output for a 30 MW installed capacity wind farm at each site in Algeria, in terms of gross energy, renewable energy delivered, specific yield and wind farm capacity factor. The energy output analysis is done using three WECSs of rated capacity 600, 1000 and 2000 kW. The RETScreen model is used to perform the economical feasibility study of the wind farms at these locations. The study concludes that the wind farm consisting of 30 wind turbines of 1 MW rated power each is more feasible for all sites than using other WECSs. Finally wind park development at Adrar will avoid 45111 tons of greenhouse gases each year and about 1127775 of tons of GHG over the life time of the wind power plant. Similarly, at Timimoun and Tindouf a total of 900925 and 639475tons of GHG could be avoided from entering into the local atmosphere of these stations.

Prospects of wind farm development in Saudi Arabia

This paper presents the energy output of wind farms in terms of unadjusted energy, gross energy, renewable energy delivered, specific yield and wind farm capacity factor. The analysis also includes the comparison of energy output from two methods: (i) the RETScreen model and (ii) the actual frequency and wind turbine power curve. The energy output analysis is done using three wind energy conversion systems of rated capacity 600, 1000, and 1500 kW. The study is performed for 30 MW installed capacity wind farms at five coastal locations in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the RETScreen software is also used to perform the economical feasibility study of the wind farms at these locations. The study concludes that of the five wind parks, Yanbo and Dhahran are the only two sites where wind park development is economically feasible. Finally, wind park development at Yanbo will result in a reduction in greenhouse gases of 31369, 23601, and 26087 tons each year, corresponding to 1500, 1000, and 600 kW machine wind parks, respectively. On the other hand, at Dhahran, installation of wind machines of 1500, 1000, and 600 kW sizes will reduce the GHGs by 26183, 19247, and 21533 tons per year.