Wind Europe 2023 brought together research and technology related to wind power generation in Europe. In the first half, we reported on the symposiums and poster presentations, and in the second half, we will introduce the exhibition and the trends in European wind power generation that can be seen from it.
- Wind Europe 2023 will be 10 times the size of the Japanese exhibition. Two trends to watch
- Trend 1: Expansion of floating offshore wind power
- Trend 2: Turbulence intensity measurement using a floating rider
- A proven track record in Europe. The power of Nacelle Rider
- A tour of a huge offshore wind farm and a look at Denmark
- bonus
The scale of the Wind Europe 2023 exhibition will be 10 times that of Japan.
Two trends to watch
An international wind power exhibition called "WIND EXPO" is held every year in Japan, but the exhibition at Wind Europe 2023 felt like it had about 10 times the area and number of exhibitors. There were two major trends I noticed while touring the exhibition.
Trend 1: Expansion of floating offshore wind power
Floating wind power generation is a method in which a foundation is floated on the ocean and a wind turbine is built on top of it. It is considered a more difficult technology than fixed-bottom wind power generation, in which the foundation is fixed to the seabed.
In Europe, which is blessed with shallow seas, the introduction of fixed-bottom type has been promoted up until now. On the other hand, in a country surrounded by deep seas like Japan, the development of floating type is an urgent issue. Japan, which started demonstration testing of floating type in the Goto Islands about 10 years ago, was at the forefront of the world.
However, after participating in Wind Europe 2023, I realized that the situation has changed dramatically. Floating wind farms have reached the commercial stage in Europe, and Japan has already been overtaken.
Types of foundations for offshore wind turbines
Exhibition booth for floating foundations and floating offshore wind turbines
Not because they are short of construction sites, but because they are looking to the future and seeking greater potential, Europe is currently expanding the scope of wind power plant construction to deep sea areas. At the exhibition, there were many exhibits presenting floating foundations and their construction methods.
There were several sessions on floating systems at the conference, all of which were fully booked, which made it clear that floating systems are becoming quite popular in Europe.
The figure below shows the planned amount of floating offshore wind power generation to be introduced.
Source: Planned installation of floating offshore wind by country (by 2022)Published informationby)
Ten years ago, Japan was at the forefront, but now it is no longer in the top ten. On the other hand, East Asia, including Japan, is said to have the greatest potential for the introduction of floating offshore wind power. Japan is considered to have the opportunity to become the center of this promising market in the future. The key is whether Japan can lead the market with a sense of speed.
In addition, the floating type, where wind turbines are built offshore, raises the issue of how to store and transmit the electricity generated. Because there is an abundance of seawater around the wind turbines, storing electricity in hydrogen is a useful method, and a case study was presented that combined hydrogen with floating offshore wind turbines.
Trend 2: Turbulence intensity measurement using a floating rider
A floating lidar is a device that uses a vertical Doppler lidar installed on a floating structure on the ocean to measure wind conditions in the sky using a laser. It is not widely used in Japan, but I felt that it has become established as a reliable technology for observing wind conditions in the ocean in Europe.
The research and development theme that focused on this floating rider was the measurement of turbulence intensity.
It is extremely difficult to measure turbulence accurately on a moving floating body, and there was a research presentation on how to correct the motion in order to measure it accurately. The conclusion was that the accuracy could be improved considerably by correcting the motion of the lidar, but it still seemed that the accuracy of the European research did not reach the level of turbulence measurements using a wind condition mast.
Kobe University, where Rera Tech Inc. is headquartered, is currently conducting research to improve the accuracy of floating rider's turbulence intensity to the same level as a wind condition mast, and I realized that they are at the cutting edge of this research field even in Europe.
A proven track record in Europe. The power of Nacelle Rider
Nacelle Lidar display at the exhibition (Left: VAISALA, Right: ZX Lidars)
The nacelle lidar, which is attached to the nacelle (the central part of the wind turbine blades and tower body) and measures wind conditions in front of the turbine, can be used for a variety of purposes.IEC Standards(IEC 61400-50-3:2022) and is widely used in Europe.
It is possible to check whether the amount of power generated according to the wind speed (power curve) is being obtained, and to detect whether the rotor is receiving the wind correctly (yaw misalignment). By observing this in real time and changing the settings of the wind turbine as needed (wind turbine control), it is possible to operate the wind turbine efficiently and prevent breakdowns.
There are still few cases of Nacelle Riders in Japan, and their benefits are not well known. This time, I was able to see an actual Nacelle Rider at the exhibition, learn what models are available, and how to use them. I would like to utilize this experience in the services of Relatec.
A tour of a huge offshore wind farm and a look at Denmark
After participating in Wind Europe 2023, we also visited the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm.
A view of Anholt Offshore Wind Farm
The Anholt Offshore Wind Farm is a huge offshore wind farm located in the Kattegat Strait between Denmark and Sweden, with 3.6 wind turbines of 111 MW each. When it began operation in 2013, it was one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world, but since then, larger offshore wind farms have been built one after another, and it is now the 26th largest in the world.
In addition to the wind turbines, we were also able to see the infrastructure that pulls the power lines to a substation, called a "substation."
Anholt Offshore Wind Farm's offshore substation
It was an overwhelming sight to see 111 statues lined up on the sea. When I thought about the fact that these were built 10 years ago, it made me think about the difference with Japan.
As an aside, the difference in "work style" from Japan was also striking. Danish people separate work time from private time and have a well-balanced work style. They finish work in the evening and don't work at night. They also take plenty of holidays. As someone who works in the same industry, I felt that there was a lot to learn from the Danish, not just in terms of technology, but also in terms of this way of working.
bonus
The meal I had in Copenhagen (left) and the Little Mermaid statue (right). The Little Mermaid statue is 125cm tall. I had high hopes for it as a famous photo spot, but it felt smaller than I imagined. Behind the Little Mermaid is aCopenhill" is a waste-to-energy plant and a recreation center that also serves as an artificial ski slope. From the roof you can see offshore wind turbines such as Middelgrunden, so it might be interesting to visit when you're in Copenhagen!
As wind condition consultants, Rera Tech Inc. will conduct optimal wind condition surveys that combine "observation" and "estimation" for wind power generation. Please feel free to contact us if you have any inquiries regarding wind conditions.
