The cost of offshore wind: Understanding the past and projecting the future

Heptonstall, Philip; Groß, Robert; Greenacre, P; Cockerill, Tim

doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2011.11.050

Cited by 83 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…This characterizes a policy undertaking which embraces the "trilemma of energy sustainability" devoted to promote energy security, social security and environmental impact mitigation during this period is consistent with the notion that such a level of deployment will assist the UK in meeting the 2020 target [25]. The introduction of incentive mechanisms in the form of Renewable Obligation (RO), exception from climate change levy (CCL) and feed-in-tariffs (FiT) have combined to boost the level of deployment of offshore wind in the UK [26].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing an optimal electricity generation mix for the UK 2050 future

Sithole

Cockerill

Hughes

et al. 2016

Energy

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The UK electricity sector is undergoing a transition driven by Climate Change policies and envir onmental policies from Europe. Aging electricity generating infrastructure is set to affect capacity margins after 2015.These developments, coupled with the increased proportion of inflexible and variable generation technologies will impact on the security of electricity supply. Investment in low-carbon technologies is central to UK meeting its energy policy objectives. The complexity of these challenges over the future development of the UK electricity sector has motivated this study which aims to develop a policy-informed electricity generation scenario to assess the sector's transition to 2050. The study analyses the level of deployment of electricity generating technologies in line with the 80% by 2050 emission target. This is achieved by using an excel-based "Energy Optimisation Calculator" which captures the interaction of various inputs to produce a least cost generation mix. The key results focus on the least cost electricity generation portfolio, emission intensity, and total investment required to assemble a sustainable electricity generation mix. A carbon neutral electricity sector is feasible if low-carbon technologies are deployed on a large scale. This requires a robust policy framework that supports the development and deployment of mature and emerging technologies.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing an optimal electricity generation mix for the UK 2050 future

Sithole

Cockerill

Hughes

et al. 2016

Energy

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“…There is a growing strand of literature that identifies significant uncertainties regarding the specification and identification of the log-linear learning curve model (Nemet, 2009;Nordhaus, 2009;Yeh and Rubin, 2012). Particularly for wind technologies, specific investment costs did increase in the recent years -despite continuously increasing installed capacities (Heptonstall et al, 2012). Rising steel and concrete prices had a significant effect on wind technologies' investment costs in the recent years (Panzer, 2012), and may do so in the future.…”

Section: Model and Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the long-term economic benefits of European electricity system integration

Schmid

Knopf

2015

Energy Policy

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This paper analyses a set of model-based decarbonization scenarios in order to quantify the long-term economic benefits that arise from an increasing integration of the pan-European electricity system. It thereby focuses on the interplay between transmission infrastructure and renewable generation capacity expansion. We confirm earlier findings that, on aggregate, pan-European transmission capacity expansion constitutes a no-regret option for integrating increasing shares of variable renewables in mitigation scenarios with positive social returns on investment. However, it turns out that the change in total discounted system costs that occurs as transmission capacity expansion increases is modest in magnitude, with a maximum of 3.5% for a case with no expansion compared to one with massive expansion. In technical terms this means that the optimum is rather flat and that taking into account regional and local benefits and distributional aspects, could alter the evaluation of the economic benefits considerably. A crucial finding in this context is that the configuration of pan-European transmission infrastructure and the importance of specific country-connections, i.e. a "Southern" versus a "Northern" solution, crucially hinges on the relative development of specific investment costs for solar and wind technologies over the next decades.

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“…Prognos and Fichtner Group [21] (p. 12) define LCoE as "the average cost for generating electricity over an operational time of 20 years". Heptonstall et al [22] further explain how to calculate LCoE and define it as "levelised costs seek to capture the full lifetime costs of an electricity generating installation, and allocate these costs over the lifetime electrical output, with both future costs and outputs discounted to present values". Liu et al [23] evaluate different frameworks and finally utilize the 'E3' methodology in their setting of LCoE for China.…”

Section: Levelized Cost Of Energymentioning

confidence: 99%

How Expensive Is Expensive Enough? Opportunities for Cost Reductions in Offshore Wind Energy Logistics

Poulsen

Hasager

2016

Energies

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This paper reveals that logistics may conservatively amount to 18% of the levelized cost of energy for offshore wind farms. This is the key finding from an extensive case study carried out within the organization of the world's leading offshore wind farm developer and operator. The case study aimed to, and produced, a number of possible opportunities for offshore wind cost reductions through logistics innovation; however, within the case study company, no company-wide logistics organization existed to focus horizontally on reducing logistics costs in general. Logistics was not well defined within the case study company, and a logistics strategy did not exist. With full life-cycle costs of offshore wind farms still high enough to present a political challenge within the European Union in terms of legislation to ensure offshore wind diffusion beyond 2020, our research presents logistics as a next frontier for offshore wind constituencies. This important area of the supply chain is ripe to academically and professionally cultivate and harvest in terms of offshore wind energy cost reductions. Our paper suggests that a focused organizational approach for logistics both horizontally and vertically within the company organizations could be the way forward, coupled with a long-term legislative environment to enable the necessary investments in logistics assets and transport equipment.

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The cost of offshore wind: Understanding the past and projecting the future

Cited by 83 publications

References 6 publications

Developing an optimal electricity generation mix for the UK 2050 future

Developing an optimal electricity generation mix for the UK 2050 future

Quantifying the long-term economic benefits of European electricity system integration

How Expensive Is Expensive Enough? Opportunities for Cost Reductions in Offshore Wind Energy Logistics

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