Offshore Wind Energy in Ice Prone Cold Regions-An Overview of Technological Gaps and Needs

With the rising concern of environmental issues, the importance of wind energy has increased significantly. Alongside onshore projects, the share of offshore wind energy sector is also expanding. Good wind resource and less social impact make offshore wind farms more desirable. However, the concept of designing and installing wind turbines along the ice prone cold regions of high north is still quite new and the technological gaps need to be explored. This paper provides an overview of the effects of icing on offshore wind turbines; the considerations that need to be made while designing the turbine keeping in view the operations, maintenance, cost perspective; and provides a pathway for future research and development into this field.