The expansion of offshore wind energy will benefit not only manufacturers of wind turbines but also ports with new business fields and revenue sources, shipping companies and the maritime supply industry.
Marin, a Dutch maritime research institute, has revealed that by 2030, the risk of a turbine being hit by a ship will increase to around 1.5 to 2.5 times a year. The institute is now focusing closely on the problem, which is becoming increasingly urgent as offshore wind plays a rapidly expanding role in the energy mix.
Worldwide, 2021 was another record-breaking year for the offshore wind industry, according to latest figures from UK analyst Clarkson Research. While new additions to the grid were modest in Europe, China overtook UK as the largest offshore wind market.
As the global offshore wind energy industry moves further out to sea because prime resource locations closer to shore are already occupied, offshore wind farm development faces a number of operational challenges that extend beyond the assessment of offshore wind resources to the transportation, installation, maintenance and service of wind turbines.