EU-Norsewind: delivering offshore wind speed data

Offshore wind is the major growth area in the wind industry sector today, with a host of large projects being announced and innovative approaches being proposed. However, with all this investment and innovation there remains a key, fundamental missing element - a thorough understanding of the offshore wind climatology and likely wind resource. As the wind industry starts to look in detail at the wind regime offshore, the need for more physical data becomes apparent. As well as the normal AEP requirements for project finance, baseline data is required in order to better understand the local conditions with respect to shear and hence loading implications, and of equal concern directionality which can feed into important research areas such as offshore wake propagation. Indeed, a good baseline understanding of the wind flow regime is essential in being able to determine the accumulative impact of large scale wind farms in relatively concentrated geographical areas. NORSEWInD has a clear remit, the delivery of offshore wind speed data at a nominal project hub height acquired in offshore locations. The project will use a multi-instrument approach, combining mast technology, LiDAR remote sensing and satellite based observations to compile a large and novel wind speed dataset suitable for use in the wind industry. The data will also feed into key areas such as forecasting and MESOSCALE modelling improvements. The result is a large database accessible via a web based interface utilising GIS, that contains vital information for our understanding of this highly complex wind regime, and working environment. This paper presents the NORSEWInD concept and projected outcome, as well as an update as to the current status of the project, as NORSEWInD moves into the offshore data acquisition phase.