About the project
The main objective of EuroWindWakes (EWW) is to develop, enhance, validate and benchmark various multi-scale wake modelling techniques that originate from applied science as well as current industry standards. The project’s core outcome is the improvement of models, accompanied by guidelines indicating when the use of a particular model is appropriate, considering its associated uncertainties. These advancements will facilitate collaborative international maritime spatial planning efforts and mitigate risks in the development of new offshore wind energy assets.
The North Seas Energy Cooperation – a collaboration between EU member-states and Norway to create an integrated offshore energy grid – agreed in September 2022 to have installed at least 260 GW of offshore wind energy by 2050. As such, the North Sea is often referred to as Europe’s future powerhouse and will see the world’s densest installation of offshore wind farms according to current expansion plans that are developed by the planning authorities. One key aspect that impacts the development of offshore wind energy is large-scale wind farm effects and the associated uncertainty in the modelling of wind energy yields in dense wind farm clusters. Underestimating these effects could result in lower-than-expected power generation on a national or even European scale, impacting economic projections. It could also lead to overly optimistic bids in tenders, rendering wind farm assets unprofitable from a business perspective.