Scientists and experts from Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands have launched a joint research project aimed at improving the accuracy of wake effect forecasts in offshore wind farms, with the goal of supporting more efficient maritime spatial planning and energy yield predictions.
The initiative, known as EuroWindWakes, brings together research institutions and industry partners to address the challenges posed by dense offshore wind farm installations, particularly in the North Sea, where the world’s highest concentration of turbines is expected by 2050.
“EuroWindWakes reduces uncertainty in the assessment of long-distance wake effects on the North Sea scale, enabling optimal asset siting in applications like maritime spatial planning,” said Dr. Bernhard Stoevesandt, project coordinator at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES).
Wake effects, which occur in the area downstream of a wind turbine where wind speed drops and turbulence increases, can significantly reduce electricity output in neighbouring wind farms. Current models often produce yield estimates with a 20–30% margin of error, according to Fraunhofer IWES.
The EuroWindWakes project aims to cut that margin to around 10% by refining and validating existing forecasting methods. Improving model accuracy is considered essential for optimizing turbine placement and reducing financial uncertainty for offshore wind developers.
“The prediction of wake effects from neighbouring wind farms on the energy yield of an offshore wind farm varies significantly depending on the chosen wake model,” said Anja Schönnebeck, national project coordinator at Pondera Consult. “This variation introduces high uncertainties in the financial planning of offshore wind farms.”
The project is backed by national funding bodies: Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), Denmark’s Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (EUDP), and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), under the EU’s Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP).
Partners include Fraunhofer IWES, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Delft University of Technology, Deutscher Wetterdienst, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Pondera Consult, EMD International, DHI, and associated companies such as RWE, BP, EnBW and TotalEnergies.
“The fact that the collaborating countries are North Sea neighbors opens opportunities to really work on cross-border effects of wind farms, and bring together stakeholders, including authorities,” said Jake Badger, head of section for resource assessment and meteorology at DTU Wind and Energy Systems.
The project began in late 2024 and will run for three years. A kickoff meeting was held in February 2025 to outline key steps. Fraunhofer IWES is leading coordination efforts.
