The presence of robust and reliable data is always in high demand for any business. That is not least the case for offshore wind power. Accurate wind measurements are required for offshore wind resource assessments and for increasing business case certainty – essential in relation to financing and project bankability.
Under the auspices of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has issued a tender for a Floating LIDAR (FLiDAR). FLiDAR, which has now become the technology of choice for offshore wind, offers significant savings compared to traditional methods of using met masts in the complex marine environment. Using laser technology, FLiDAR is a technology that measures wind conditions and gathers data on additional important met-ocean site conditions.
In northern Europe, where excellent offshore wind conditions prevail, developers typically deploy their own FLiDARs. The deployment of publicly funded FLiDARs have a long history in Denmark, where accurate wind data is available in the public domain. For example the Danish TSO, Energinet, tendered for a floating LiDAR buoy for the Hesselø offshore wind farm area back in 2020.
The measurement campaign under NIWE’s programme will take place at three locations (zones) for a one-year period. The data will be made available to the general public and will be used by NIWE to estimate and verify the wind energy potential, and used as a baseline for met-ocean design parameters and as a supplement to the environmental baseline description. The tender closes on 2nd March 2022. Information on the tender (incl. pre-qualification & evaluation criteria) can be found on the NIWE website.
Installing FLiDARs in the Gulf of Mannar will allow NIWE to map one of the most attractive and economically viable site areas for offshore wind in India. The commercial viability and de-risking of future offshore wind projects is contingent on wind and site condition data being reliable and accurate.