Mapping global offshore wind wake losses, layout optimisation potential, and climate change effects

This study assesses global offshore wind energy resources, wake-induced losses, array layout optimisation potential and climate change impacts. Global offshore ambient potential is first mapped based on reanalysis data. Wake-induced losses are then estimated using an engineering wake model, revealing that locations with low (high) resource typically experience larger (smaller) percentage losses. However, the specific wind speed distribution is found to be important, with narrower distributions generally leading to greater losses. This is due to the overlap between the wind speed distribution and the high-sensitivity region of the turbine thrust and power curves. Broadly, this leads to much stronger wake-induced losses in the tropics (which experience the trade winds) than mid-latitudes. However, the tropics also experience a narrower wind direction distribution; the results of this study demonstrate that this leads to greater potential for mitigation of wake effects via layout optimisation. Finally, projected changes in wind potential and wake losses due to climate change under a high-emission scenario are assessed. Many regions are projected to decrease in ambient wind resources, and furthermore these regions will typically experience greater wake-induced losses, exacerbating the climate change impact. These results highlight the different challenges and opportunities associated with exploiting offshore wind resources across the globe. • Wake losses, array optimisation and climate change impacts on global offshore wind are assessed. • Wake losses are linked to ambient potential but with significant spatial variation. • Wake losses are worst in the tropics, but with greatest optimisation potential. • The impact of climate change on wind potential is exacerbated by wake losses.