Weather Window Forecasting and Indexed Risk Assessment for Offshore Operations
IES, in partnership with WaveForce Technologies and Skyline Partners has developed a meteorological and oceanographic long term observation and model hindcast based data analysis, statistical characterization and forecasting tool for offshore operations weather window and risk assessment development.
The weather window missed days analysis is a statistical analysis based on specific boat, operations, wind speed and wave height thresholds and durations for safe and effective operations. It can used for desktop metocean characterization and informed project bidding as well as parametric insurance threshold specification
The forecast tool incorporates a unique data assimilation model for improved forecasting accuracy in offshore and nearshore coastal areas.
The analysis is linked to an parametric indexed insurance instrument for warranty of the weather window predictions with payout for missed days in excess of the predicted number of days as determined by 3rd party metocean data exceeding specified wind and wave criteria.
Coverage is focused on offshore developers, operators and planners for activities ranging from site assessment to construction and operations. The preliminary focus area is the offshore wind energy development areas in the Northeast.
Additional information can be found here: https://www.waveforcetechnologies.com/weather-window
Mayflower Wind Export Cable Burial Sediment Transport and Dispersion
In association with Swanson Environmental Associates and Power Engineers, IES was contracted by Mayflower Wind (MFW) to provide a sediment dispersion modeling assessment to evaluate potential impacts of the construction activities associated with an export cable installation for the MFW offshore wind farm. Mayflower Wind plans to add a second export transmission cable from the offshore wind farm to the former Brayton Point power station site in Sommerset, Mass. and wished to assess the potential impacts of the construction activities. The application included hydrodynamic modelling for current and tidal predictions along with sediment resuspension, transport, dispersion and deposition modelling. The results provided estimates of the maximum sediment concentrations in the water column as well as the deposition areal coverage and thickness of resettled sediments. The effort was performed in support of the development of the MFW’s offshore wind farm Construction and Operations Plan (COP) development.
THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED PRIOR TO IES
Block Island Wind Farm and Transmission System
The Block Island Wind Farm was the first offshore wind farm to be built in US waters. As part of the permitting process, in the pre- Construction and Operations Plan (COP) period, the potential for impacts of resuspended sediments resulting from cable burial operations needed to be assessed. For this project, sediment dispersion modelling for the Block Island Wind Farm inter-array and export cable burial operations analysis for Deepwater Wind (DWW, now Orsted) was performed.
Model simulations of the circulation and transport, verified through current meter and tide gauge observations, were performed. The currents were used to develop model predicted sediment resuspension, water column concentrations and sediment deposition area coverage and thickness for the inter-array cable and export cable areas. Support for DWW with regulatory agencies and permit development was also provided.
RIWINDS Wind Feasibility Assessment: Phase 1 Siting Study, RI.
In 2006, the State of Rhode Island established the RIWINDS Program to promote the development of wind energy in the State. The goal of the Program was aggressive: to meet 15 percent of the State's 1000 MW peak electric demand (1.3x106 MWh per year), requiring approximately 450 MW of wind energy capacity. The Phase I Feasibility Study scope was to evaluate the entire State of Rhode Island to identify the most viable areas for wind energy development and assess the potential energy generation associated with these areas. The process used a unique set of GIS and analytical tools to screen and prioritize potential areas, both on land and offshore, taking into consideration technical, environmental, financial and public acceptance issues. The study evaluated projects using utility scale wind turbines (1.5 MW onshore and 3.6 MW offshore) for small customer connected and community installations as well as for large, wholesale installations where all of the power would be fed into the New England grid.
The key results of the Study indicated that:
- The RIWINDS goal is achievable.
- The cost of wind energy to meet this goal appears to be competitive with the projected cost of electricity in Rhode Island.
- Over 95 percent of economic wind opportunity is offshore
- The study concluded that 10 offshore sites and one onshore site, where producing wind energy would be economically feasible, were potentially feasible and could generate electricity at competitive market rates. Not all the sites would need to be developed to reach the governor’s 15-percent goal and the 11 areas could produce five times the amount of energy needed to meet that goal.
