Multi-parameter approach for the selection of preferred offshore power grids for wind energy

Western Europe is heavily investing in offshore wind power, but the costs of these wind farms remain high. For that reason, current transmission grids for offshore wind energy are predominately radial to reduce investment cost. To date, selection approaches of offshore grid configurations are mainly based on the level of reliability. This paper introduces an alternative selection approach to comprehensively assess the net present value (NPV) of near-shore power grids. The assessment encompasses, among others, a load flow analysis, as well as the sensitivities to parameters like failure rates, repair times and energy prices, for different grid configurations (i.e. radial/ meshed). A case study of the Dutch offshore transmission system shows that this approach helps in finding a suitable tradeoff between lowest feasible NPV, while also improving the reliability (in terms of reduced lost energy) of the offshore grid.