US DOE says 3.8 GW of offshore wind is progressing

Oct 24, 2013 - Some 11 commercial-scale offshore wind projects exceeding 3,800 MW in combined capacity are progressing in US waters, a report by the US Department of Energy (DOE) showed on Wednesday.

In the document indicating the progress for the US offshore wind segment in 2012, the DOE said it had wrapped up two commercial lease auctions for federal wind areas, as well.

The 3,800 MW of wind parks are currently in advanced development stages. The schemes have at least a power purchase agreement (PPA) or have obtained clearance for an interim or commercial lease in state or federal waters.

Meanwhile, developers continue to face challenges related to cost-competitiveness, lack of infrastructure such as offshore transmission, and regulatory issues, according to the report.

Taking a look on the global wind market, the DOE noted that offshore wind parks are being constructed farther from the coast into deeper waters, while turbines are now greater in size with increased hub heights, which boosts efficiency.

The report outlines global trends in the construction of offshore wind turbines in deeper waters and the use of larger machines for offshore wind parks. It is part of the DOE national offshore wind strategy, which backs the development of tools and engineering prototypes which can support offshore wind project developers and industry shareholders. The report will be updated and published each year for a term of three years.

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