Abstract
This Energy Insights report examines the emerging offshore wind energy sector,
particularly in Europe. It first provides an overview of the industry' s steady
development and then explores some of the promising technical advances that are
improving the technology' s performance, before evaluating the current status of
project economics. Next, it investigates the main variables coloring offshore
wind' s outlook and identifies government- and industry-led activities that are
aiming to mitigate some of the sector' s most pressing hurdles. It ends with a
prognosis for offshore wind' s near- to medium-term outlook.
"Though significant cost, grid access, spatial planning, and investment risk
barriers remain, European offshore wind energy is primed for significant
near-term capacity growth. Development is likely to spread to the United States
and the Pacific Rim post-2012," said Nadav Enbar, senior research analyst,
Energy Insights.
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Energy Insights Opinion
- In This Report
- Situation Overview
- Figure: Offshore Wind Market Development in Europe (2000-2007)
- Figure: Operational and Planned Offshore Wind Farms in Northern Europe
- Figure: Operational and Planned Offshore Wind Farms in Southern Europe
- Figure: Forecast for Global Offshore Wind Power, 2008-2011
- Technology Developments: Bigger, Moving to Deeper Depths
- Figure: Expected Evolution of Wind Turbines to Deeper Water
- Offshore Wind' s Economic Equation
- Meeting the Challenges Ahead
- Figure: Horns Rev Wind Farm, Denmark
- Future Outlook
- Essential Guidance
- Actions to Consider
- Actions for Offshore Wind Project Developers
- Actions for Utilities
- Appendix
- Table: Selected European Offshore Wind Installations
- Learn More
- Related Research
- Energy Insights Research
- Other Research
- Synopsis
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