Tech Talk: How to ensure wind power supply under extreme weather? - CGTN
Tech Talk: How to ensure wind power supply under extreme weather? - CGTN
From typhoons and floods to heat waves and mountain fires, extreme weather events have been affecting people across the globe. The new energy industry has also been affected, including the wind power sector.
"There have been many challenges for the wind power sector, including those caused by climate change, cold waves, extremely high temperatures and extremely strong wind," Li Wei, chief engineer of Renewable Energy Engineering Institute, PowerChina Huadong Engineering Co., Ltd., told CGTN.
An offshore wind farm in southeast China's Fujian Province. /CFP
Studies have shown that rising temperature in the Arctic could reduce the temperature difference with the equator, affecting the wind speed in the mid-latitude region and the region's wind resources.
Moreover, extreme cold waves bring low temperatures and cause ice to form on the equipment. For example, low temperatures could affect the fluidity of lubricating oil, ice could affect blade load and sea ice could impact the structure's stability.
"All these adversely impact equipment life, power generation efficiency, and safe and stable operation," Li said.
The expert said that typhoons could be either good or bad for wind power.
Structure of typhoon. Yin Yating/CGTN
He explained that the size of typhoons could range from hundreds to thousands of kilometers. The eyewall of a typhoon is the strongest and most destructive area, which could adversely affect offshore wind turbines and their structures. However, if the wind farm is within the rainbands, the increased wind speed induced by typhoons could provide significant benefits to the wind farm.
Measures to ensure power supply
Extreme weather has also resulted in power shortages. For instance, people use air conditioners more frequently in hot weather, leading to a surge in electricity consumption.
Regarding the maintenance of wind power supply during extreme weather, Li stated that in-depth research into heat-resistant and frost-resistant materials is essential, and the reliability and stability of wind turbines need enhancement to deal with the impacts of extreme weather.
"We also need to use digital tools to ensure the safe construction and stable operation of wind farms," stated the expert, adding that China has constructed over 30 million wind farms, and their overall operation remains relatively stable.
Reducing environmental impacts
An offshore wind farm in Yancheng City, east China's Jiangsu Province. /CFP
Although wind power is a type of clean energy, it still has certain environmental impacts during construction and operation.
The impacts on the regional ecological environment or natural landscape during the construction and operation of offshore wind power equipment mainly include visual impacts, noise, impacts on birds and fishes, and electromagnetic interference.
"In the early stages of project planning, we would conduct thematic research and demonstrations on ecology, light, sound, and electromagnetic to avoid sensitive areas of the ecological environment, allow passage for animals to migrate, and integrate the wind farm into the natural landscape to create beautiful scenery," Li said.
"During the construction and operation stages, we would provide effective protection and restoration measures for the soil and water environment, conduct environmental monitoring, implement vegetation protection, and release fish fry."
Wind turbines on an island in Zhoushan City, east China's Zhejiang Province. /CFP
China has become one of the world's largest markets for wind power.
Data from China Renewable Energy Society shows in 2022, China, excluding its Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions, added more than 49 million kilowatts of installed capacity, with onshore wind power adding nearly 45 million kilowatts of capacity and offshore wind power adding over 5 million kilowatts. By the end of last year, the cumulative installed capacity in China exceeded 390 million kilowatts, with 360 million kilowatts on land and over 30 million kilowatts offshore.
Videographer: Zhao Yuxiang
Video editor: Yang Yiren
Cover image: Li Wenyi
Related Knowledge Center: Offshore wind energy
Over the next decade, U.S. offshore wind power is expected to grow from a single 30-megawatt wind farm off Rhode Island to more than 2,000 MW of capacity along the Atlantic Seaboard. There are contracts for wind power off the coasts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has estimated the United States has over 4,000 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind potential, enough to power the country four times over.
The growth in part being spurred by state solicitations, including in New York, where then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) set a commitment of 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035, and in Connecticut, where in June 2021, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed legislation authorizing the construction of 2,000 MW of offshore wind by 2030.
The offshore development is also being driven by an investment tax credit set to end in December 2019 and is equal to 12 percent of expenditures. U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) have introduced a bill to extend the tax credit for up to eight years.
The Interior Department has held eight competitive lease sales that resulted in 15 offshore wind leases over 1.7 million acres that has the potential for 21 GW of capacity. In February 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management completed a bidding process that realized $4.37 billion for 488,000 acres across six lease areas in federal waters off New York and New Jersey.
Projects have also been proposed off the Southeast coast, off California and Hawaii, and for the Great Lakes.