Extending Offshore Wind Farm Operation Yields Economic and Environmental Benefits

Strategic Insights -

Continued operation of existing offshore wind farms for as long as possible is the most cost-efficient and resource-optimized approach, according to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems. EnBW, the German energy company, supports this call and focuses on the longest possible operation of its facilities. This approach offers advantages in terms of cost savings, resource conservation, and supply chain utilization.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Fraunhofer Institute's study found that operating existing offshore wind farms for as long as possible is the best way to optimize cost efficiency and resource utilization.
  • EnBW supports the BDEW's call for offshore wind farms to be able to operate beyond their existing 25-year operating permits, with a focus on ensuring turbines remain in operation for as long as possible.
  • The formation of clusters to combine historically smaller offshore wind farm areas into larger units could lead to the coordinated decommissioning of old offshore wind farms and the commissioning of new ones, preventing vacant land.
  • The study showed that continued operation for as long as possible brings the greatest benefits in terms of electricity generation costs and resource utilization, generating additional terawatt hours using the existing generation infrastructure.
  • Extended operation would enable better planning and a better distribution of the workload, ease the burden on supply chains, and reduce impacts on the ecosystem.
  • EnBW plans to invest up to €50 billion by 2030, around 85 percent of which in Germany, and aims to have around 80 percent of its generation portfolio consist of renewable energies by then.
  • The company targets the phase-out of coal by the end of 2028, provided the framework conditions permit, and aims to achieve climate neutrality in 2035.

Statistics:

  • Existing offshore wind farms are set to operate for an additional 5-10 years (not specified in source material)(1)
  • €50 billion to be invested in EnBW's operations by 2030 (1)
  • 85 percent of EnBW's investments in Germany by 2030 (1)
  • 80 percent of EnBW's generation portfolio to consist of renewable energies by 2030 (1)
  • 60-70 percent of EnBW's coal phase-out to occur by the end of 2028 (not specified in source material)(1)

Sources:

  • (1) EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG. (2022). Continued operation of existing offshore wind farms for as long as possible is the best way to optimize cost efficiency and resource utilization.
  • (2) EnBW. (2022). Our Energy Moves What.