Greenrock, a renewable power advocate based mostly in Bermuda, has launched the third research in its offshore wind feasibility sequence – “Bermuda Offshore Wind: Location Evaluation.”
Commissioned to find out “essentially the most technically possible places for an offshore wind farm in Bermuda,” in accordance with Greenrock, the research not solely narrowed down a location for an offshore wind farm but in addition confirmed that electrical energy offered by offshore wind could be roughly one-third cheaper than the present worth for electrical energy supplied by gas oil.
BVG Associates, a United Kingdom-based firm with substantial expertise within the offshore wind business, together with within the design of offshore wind generators, carried out the placement evaluation and recognized 4 potential areas that may very well be appropriate for a 60 MW offshore wind farm.
Pinpointing technical constraints related to turbine set up and operation was one other purpose of the research. It additionally thought-about a variety of environmental and social constraints, based mostly on collaboration with the Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Program.
The research discovered a location north of the island to be essentially the most logical for an offshore wind farm. Among the many causes: it had the bottom coral reef density and the shortest distance to connect with the grid of the 4. However, the research nonetheless really helpful that the north website be examined in depth and a assessment of port infrastructure be completed.
Forecast electrical energy prices from an offshore wind farm in Bermuda have been largely unchanged from earlier estimates, and are prone to vary from $0.147–$0.165 kWh. The levelized value of power was $0.149 kWh for the locale to the north of the island. Though not the bottom determine, the benefit of entry to the location made the slight improve negligible.
“Primarily based on our personal evaluation of BELCo’s (Bermuda Electrical Gentle Co.) present prices, on the level of technology, offshore wind may present electrical energy that’s about 30% cheaper than producing electrical energy from gas oil,” notes a Greenrock consultant.
Thus far, a 60 MW wind farm that would meet the electrical energy demand for 30% of the island has been proposed by Bermuda’s Regulatory Authority, an impartial physique mandated to advertise truthful enterprise practices and shield shoppers. Prices may vary between $250 million and $450 million {dollars} with a completion date anticipated on the finish of 2029.
The fourth research in Greenrock’s sequence is an annual power manufacturing evaluation utilizing commercially accessible wind useful resource information. It’s at present in progress and will probably be printed within the coming weeks says Greenrock.
Click on right here to obtain the “Bermuda Offshore Wind: Location Evaluation.”
Picture by Kino on Unsplash
