The effect of the marine environment on the stator insulation system of an offshore wind turbine generator

Wind energy generation has been projected to continue to play a key role in the decarbonization of developed global economies. Over the past decades, wind power generation has seen dramatic growth. More than 35 GW of new wind power capacity was brought online in 2013, making the global total installed power around 318 GW at the end of 2013, and the average annual growth rate over the last 10 years has been around 21% [1]. Onshore wind energy technology is well established and mature. As the onshore wind market approaches saturation, development programs of offshore wind farms are underway in many countries. In 2013, 1.63 GW of new offshore capacity was added, making an installed total of 7.05 GW. Figure 1 shows a global distribution of offshore wind power generation at the end of 2013 [2].