Optimal capacity density of offshore wind farms : An analysis for the prospective wind energy projects in the North Sea

The North Sea and Norwegian continental shelf have been identified to possess some of the world's best wind resources. Nine countries, including Norway, have signed the Ostend Declaration and established their offshore wind development targets for 2050. However, space constraints, current consumption, siting regulations, and spatial planning risks accentuate the need for finding an optimum design parameter, i.e., capacity density (MW/km2) for offshore wind farms. A thorough understanding of this optimization problem seems to be missing in the offshore wind energy industry including leading offshore wind developers. Achieving an optimal capacity density involves a collaborative effort while …