Feasibility study of an offshore windpark

Abstract

The present work presents an alternative energy source which is still unprecedented at national level. This project consists on the study of an appropriate site to establish an offshore windfarm. Focusing on Spain, an analysis of the coastal areas with better wind resource has been conducted. The analysis includes bathymetry, wind resource and distance to coast among others. For calculation purposes different tools have been used: Microsoft Excel has been the core of the current study, especially in the process of filtering the data provided by “Puertos del Estado” and adapting it into a suitable format to work with. The computational software Matlab has also been useful to plot functions. After electing the best location for the windfarm to be established, the number, orientation and type of wind turbine is decided. Once the windfarm layout is settled, an electrical study is performed. The study concludes with an economic analysis in order to see if it is feasible to undertake the project. It is divided in two parts: The first part comprises a detailed cost breakdown of not only the wind turbine components but also the costs related to the operation and maintenance of the windfarm and decommissioning costs. In the second part a profitability analysis is conducted.