Floating wind power to grow 2000-fold by 2050 but more comprehensive standards and risk management required - DNV GL
According to a new report by risk management and quality assurance company DNV GL, the cost of floating wind will fall approximately 70% by 2050 (to a global average of 40 EUR per MWh.) and offer new opportunities to players in the offshore wind, oil & gas and maritime industries as they shift their portfolios to become less dependent on fossil fuels, DNV GL said in its release.
DNV GL has played a central role in creating and implementing many of the rules and standards that have helped the maritime, oil & gas and offshore wind (fixed) industries operate and grow safely. The report documents how learnings from established offshore industries will be important for floating wind. In particular, standardization and risk management will be essential to build stakeholder confidence.
As part of the in-depth analysis of the global energy landscape published in its recent Energy Transition Outlook 2020, DNV GL forecasts a strong future scenario for floating wind energy. Its model predicts that the installed capacity of floating wind will grow from 100 MW today to 250 GW in 2050. Or in other words, a 2000-fold increase. Unrestrained by ocean depth, it will be an especially attractive option to bring wind power in reach of much more of the world’s population including the mega cities of Asia Pacific. Although the average cost is not expected to become less than for bottom-fixed wind, the price difference will narrow as both fall. Key to these savings will be the introduction of larger turbines, larger wind farms, significant technology developments and the creation of a highly cost-competitive supply chain.
