Optimum design of transmissions systems for offshore wind farms including decision making under risk

• Published in: Renewable energy 2013-11, Vol.59, p.115-127
• Main Authors: Serrano González, J., Burgos Payán, M., Riquelme Santos, J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Cost-benefits optimization; decision making; Decision making under risk; Design engineering; Design factors; economic performance; Electric equipment; Electric power generation; electrical equipment; electricity; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; HV transmission system; HVDC-VSC; Infrastructure; Natural energy; Offshore; Offshore wind farms; power plants; Power transmission; prices; risk; uncertainty; wind; wind farms; Wind power
• ISSN: 0960-1481; 1879-0682
• DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2013.03.024

The power transmission system of an offshore wind farm constitutes the infrastructure that allows the electricity produced by the power plant to be injected into the onshore power transmission network. The design of this transmission system depends on numerous factors: the rated power of the wind farm, wind conditions at the location, the distance from the shore, the cost of electrical equipment, the price of energy, the maintenance costs, the failure rate of the equipment, and so forth. At the design stage, most of these factors remain defined with a degree of uncertainty that, in many cases, may lead to major deviations (risk) with respect to the planned economic performance of the facility. The objective for the project team of the transmission system is the determination of the most suitable configuration of the evacuation infrastructure by selecting the technology, either HVAC or HVDC, and by sizing the electrical equipment: the cables, substations or converter stations, compensation units, among other pieces. To this end, the approach developed in this work includes the assessment of a broad range of feasible scenarios (probabilistic approach) and then the selection of the optimal configuration based on a method of decision-making, taking into account the main technical and economic aspects of the infrastructure. •Project decisions based on uncertain information leads to risk in the investment return.•The design of the transmission system of OWF, including risk, has been addressed.•The main risk/uncertainty sources (wind, costs and failures) have been considered.•Realistic models of production, losses and non-supplied energy have been included.•The suitability of the method in a risk environment has been favourably tested.