Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES) has been commissioned by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (BSH) to conduct a preliminary meteorological investigation. This marks the fourth such survey undertaken by the institute, reaffirming its expertise in the field.
The IWES initiative involves the deployment of two advanced wind lidar buoys, equipped with light detection and ranging devices, at each of the N-13 and N-21 sites in the German Bight. These buoys will be in operation for a year-long measurement campaign, gathering crucial meteorological and oceanographic data. The collected data will undergo thorough processing, evaluation, and comprehensive reporting, with the ultimate goal of facilitating the efficient and economically viable design of future offshore wind farms.
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The first phase of this ambitious project saw the calibration of the initial two buoys at the wind measurement mast FINO3. Following successful calibration, these buoys were deployed at the N-13 site in September. The remaining two buoys are scheduled for deployment in the upcoming autumn of 2023.
Crucially, both N-13 and N-21 areas will benefit from the presence of two buoys each. This redundancy ensures an advantage in spatial extrapolation through subsequent data modeling. Over the course of 365 days at sea, these buoys will operate autonomously while also undergoing daily manual monitoring. Rigorous data quality checks will be conducted continuously to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the collected information.
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The collaboration between Fraunhofer IWES and the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany represents a significant step forward in harnessing the potential of offshore wind energy. The comprehensive data collected during this meteorological investigation will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of sustainable energy development in the North Sea region.
