Offshore wind “vital” to global decarbonisation, but most will have to float

Three of the common types of floating wind turbine platform.
Josh Bauer/NREL

Floating offshore wind could play a crucial role in helping to reduce the world’s reliance on fossil fuels, says a new report from the Global Wind Energy Council, and will be crucial for countries with limited opportunities to deploy fixed-bottom turbines.

The GWEC says offshore wind – now emerging as a key new technology for Australia, where Victoria has become the first state to mandate an offshore wind target – “is now recognised as a low cost, secure power source, able to underpin global action on decarbonisation.”

However, with 80 per cent of the world’s offshore wind resources situated in waters deeper than 60-metres, for many coastal regions traditional bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines are either not an option, or at best a limited option.

This is where floating offshore wind technology – already emerging in a number of markets around the world, including France, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the UK – has an opportunity to come into its own and unlock enormous amounts of renewables potential, globally.

The new report, commissioned by GWEC and authored by research and analytics company Aegir Insights, used seven parameters (below) to assess the market readiness and potential of 115 countries.

Of this list, five countries were singled out as having the greatest floating offshore wind energy potential – Ireland, Italy, Morocco, Philippines, and US – and as being the markets likely to help spearhead the next wave of floating wind development.

The report further identified a shortlist of 30 markets with “very high technical potential for floating offshore wind” and the right conditions in place to tap into the market.

Australia – as part of the short-list and being a large carbon dioxide emitter – comes out of the report as having a “clear opportunity for floating offshore wind as a route to support longer term decarbonisation.”

“Given that the global resource is greater for floating offshore wind, this gives us a sense of optimism that we will be able to accelerate the deployment of floating offshore wind and make a significant contribution to these global climate goals,” the report says.

But to get to that point, the report identifies policy ambition as the key ingredient to these countries becoming floating offshore wind hubs.

“Our assessment,” writes the authors reports, “has highlighted that the biggest factor in identifying new breakout floating offshore wind markets is government action and leadership.

“Governments need to show ambition. Their actions can be the catalyst to kickstarting successful floating offshore wind deployment, which can bring economic advantage and rapid action in emissions reduction,” the report said.

“Offshore wind is a vital tool in global action to decarbonise,” said Ben Backwell, GWEC CEO. “While the focus of this decade is rapid growth of fixed offshore wind, we also need to see political leadership so that large scale floating offshore wind is ready to play its part in the 2030s and beyond.

“As countries look to grow their renewable capacity in order to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, it is crucial that embracing new technologies is part of their roadmap. This is key to ensuring the potential for renewable energy is fully exploited.

“This important report highlights the conditions that are needed and how GWEC can support these countries to grow and become floating offshore wind leaders,” Backwell said.

“Floating offshore wind is at an exciting point in its journey,” said Henrik Stiesdal, chair of GWEC’s Floating Offshore Wind Task Force.

“Having proven the technology, we need to accelerate delivery, and this means working with countries new to offshore wind.

“Floating offshore wind can bring low carbon electricity and economic opportunities. This report identifies five countries around the globe that could move rapidly to become floating offshore wind leaders. But it also shows that with the right policies floating offshore wind can have lift-off in many countries across the globe,” Stiedsdal said.

“As floating wind technologies mature it is critical that governments create policies to enable the rapid roll out of new projects in support of global net zero emissions targets,” said Joe Nai, Shell’s general manager for Asia offshore wind and the company’s representative to the GWEC Offshore Wind Task Force.

“Alongside bottom-fixed offshore wind, solar and hydrogen, floating offshore wind has an opportunity to play a major part in the world’s future energy mix. This report helps to identify the policies that will provide the platform for success.”

Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.

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