Fei Duan

Wind Energy Cost Analysis

CoE for offshore Wind and LCOE financial modeling

Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences

Bachelor
Environmental Engeering

Thesis
August 23, 2017
 Abstract

Author(s) Fei Duan

Title Wind Energy Cost Analysis
CoE for offshore Wind and LCOE financial modeling
Number of Pages 75 pages
Date 23 August 2017

Degree Bachelor

Degree Programme Environmental Engineering

Specialisation option Renewable Energy

Instructor(s) Christian Leegaard Thomsen, Senior Specialist

Antti Tohka, Principal Lecturer

The thesis mainly discusses the cost level of offshore wind energy. As one of the most vital
renewable energy resource, offshore wind energy has developed gradually worldwide. Nev-
ertheless, relative high cost is considered as a major barrier for offshore wind industry de-
velopment. This thesis introduces the cost component for offshore wind energy, analyzed
the cost level and relative influence factor for different markets. Furthermore, in order to
better understanding levelized cost of wind energy, a LCOE financial modeling was devel-
oped. By using two reference offshore wind projects, computational principle of financial
modeling was interpreted, and LCOE calculation process was demonstrated as well.

Keywords Offshore wind, CoE, LCOE

Acknowledgments

This Bachelor’s thesis was mainly supported by Christian Leegaard Thomsen, Senior
Specialist Wind & Site Offshore, K2 Management. I would like to thank him and my col-
leagues Kwang-Woon Jung, Ulrik Møller Thomsen, and Francesco Durante Schiavone
for providing insight and expertise that greatly assisted the research. I extend my thanks
to Michael Andersen for assistance with the building and final review of LCOE financial
modeling.
Special thanks to Lin Li, Jinghua Wang for sharing their pearls of wisdom with me during
the course of this thesis writing.
Finally, I would also like to show my gratitude to my family and friends for their support
and encouragement throughout my life.

August 23, 2017

Helsinki, Finland
Fei Duan
Contents

Acknowledgments 3

Abbreviations 1

1 Introduction 3

2 Cost of Energy for Offshore Wind 6

2.1 Offshore wind CoE description 6

2.2 Offshore wind farm cost breakdown 8
2.2.1 System Cost Breakdown Structure (SCBS) Description 8
2.2.2 Benefits and limitations 9

3 Levelized Cost of Energy for Offshore Wind 10

3.1 Financial modeling 10

3.1.1 Overview 11
3.1.2 Input 12
3.1.3 Modeling 13
3.1.4 Output 15
3.2 Input parameters 15
3.2.1 Capital Expenditure 15
3.2.2 Operational Expenditure 16
3.2.3 Annual Energy Production 17
3.3 Reference project introduction 17
3.3.1 Vesterhav Nord & Syd 18
3.3.2 Borssele 1 and 2 20
3.4 LCOE calculation of reference projects 21
3.4.1 Input Parameters and Assumptions 21
3.4.2 Calculation results 24

4 Cost of Offshore Wind Energy in Different Markets 1

4.1 United Kingdom 1

4.1.1 Overview 1
4.1.2 Wind resources 4
4.1.3 Technology 5
4.1.4 Policies and Regulations 11
4.2 China 15
4.2.1 Overview 15
 4.2.2 Wind resources 16
4.2.3 Technical barriers 17
4.2.4 Non-technical barriers 21
4.3 South Korea 25
4.3.1 Overview 25
4.3.2 Environmental factor 27
4.3.3 Policies and regulations 28
4.3.4 OWF components and installation equipment & vessel 30
4.4 Japan 32
4.4.1 Overview 32
4.4.2 Environmental factor 35
4.4.3 Policies and regulations 36
4.4.4 Technical challenges & supply chain 38

5 Conclusion 41

6 References 42
Abbreviations

LCOE Levelized Cost of Energy

O&M Operation and Maintenance
SCBS System cost breakdown structure
CAPEX Capital Expenditure
OPEX Operational Expenditure
BOP Balance of Plant
NREL National Renewable Energy Laboratory
OWF Offshore Wind Farm
NPV Net Present Value
IRR Internal Rate Return
K2M K2 Management
WACC Weighted Average Costs of Capital
PV Present Value
DF Discount Factor
AEP Annual Energy Production
PtD Periods to Discount
CF Capacity Factor
CO Capacity Operational
EWEA European Wind Energy Association
BWFZ Borssele Wind Farm Zone
FID Final Investment Decision
OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer
RO Renewable Obligations
CfD Contract for Difference
LCCC Low Carbon Contracts Company
LECs Levy Exemption Certificates
WTG Wind Turbine Generator
CoE Cost of Energy
SOE State-Owned Enterprise
NEA National Energy Administration
SOA State Oceanic Administration
NDRC National Development and Reform Commission
FIT Feed-in Tariff
EIT Enterprise Income Tax
VAT Value Added Tax
RPS Renewable Portfolio Standard
REC Renewable Energy Certificate
OSS Offshore Substations
JWPA Japan Wind Power Association
METI Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
 1 Introduction

Wind, free and non-exhaustive, has huge potential on power generation worldwide, es-
pecially offshore wind. Like any other renewable energy resources, such as solar, hydro,
especially in Europe, wind power plays an increasingly significant role in current and
future energy industry. For instance, in 2016, 37.6% of Denmark’s electricity consump-
tion was covered by wind energy; what is more, the future plan is to reach 50% of its
electricity consumption from wind by 2020 [1] .

With growing concern of climate issues, governments, investors, international organiza-

tions have attached the importance to wind energy due to its zero carbon emission. Until
the end of 2015, the global cumulative wind capacity was 32.9GW, and 63 GW of wind
power capacity were installed in 2015, which represents 17% of wind market growth [2].

Unlike onshore wind, offshore wind is relatively immature. Global new installed offshore
wind capacity in 2015 was 3,398MW, and cumulative capacity until the end of 2015 was
12,107MW which accounts for merely 2.8% of total cumulative wind capacity (Table 1,
Figure 1 and Figure 2).

Table 1 Global Installed Capacity of Wind Power [3] Unit: GW

New Installed Capacity in 2015 Cumulative Capacity Until 2015

Onshore Wind 60.069 420.793

Offshore Wind 3.398 12.107
Total 63.467 432.9

Figure 1 New Installed Capacity of Wind Energy 2015

 Figure 2 Cumulative Capacity of Wind Energy 2015

Generally speaking, high cost and technical obstacles are the major barriers to offshore
wind in worldwide development. Figure 3 shows the levelized cost of energy (LCOE)
estimation of major power technologies in Europe 2015. It is shown that LCOE of off-
shore power ranges between €105/MWh and €155/MWh whose cost is highest compare
to the rest, and it is worth stressing that carbon emission cost and governmental subsi-
dies are not considered in this case. Nevertheless, LCOE of onshore wind ranges from
€52/MWh to €100/MWh, even cheaper than that of natural gas.

Figure 3 LCOE of major power generation technologies in Europe [4]

Europe has a leading position in offshore wind market and advanced offshore technolo-
gies. Until the end of 2015, over 10 GW offshore capacities had been installed in Europe
[3]. It is expected that LCOE of offshore will be decreased to €100/MWh by 2020 and
€85 to €79/MWh by 2025.
In the US, according to the report from U.S. Energy Information Administration published
on August 2016, for the offshore wind power plants to start operating in 2022, LCOE is
estimated to range from €122/MWh to €190/MWh($137.1/MWh – $213.9/MWh). See
Figure 4 for a comparison of the LCOEs of different new generation resources. Compare
to the European market, the offshore wind market in the US is still in the very beginning
stage, even though the potential of offshore wind development is quite promising. Until
the end of 2015, the cumulative offshore wind capacity in the US was merely 0.02MW
[4].

Figure 4 Variation in LCOE for New Generation Resources in the US [7]

Technology and energy policy and regulations are two essential considerations for the
cost of offshore wind energy. Larger turbines can be adopted for an offshore wind farm
with larger capacity; however, the cost is increasing correspondingly, as are also risk
challenges.

The capital investment of offshore wind is 27% higher, on average, as compared to that
of onshore wind (Figure 3), since the harsh sea environment requires higher standards
for the turbine and the foundation. Besides, cost for transportation and assembling also
lead to higher capital cost due to insufficient installation vessels and accessibility issues
of construction sites. Similarly, grid connection, operation and maintenance (O&M) are
other concerns for investors.
This thesis project investigated the cost of offshore wind energy from three different an-
gles:
- Cost component and cost structure
- LCOE of offshore wind energy and LCOE financial modeling in different regions
- Cost of offshore wind energy in different countries

Each angle is elaborated on the following chapters.

2 Cost of Energy for Offshore Wind

In this chapter, the cost of energy for offshore wind is briefly discussed in Chapter 2.1.
Furthermore, offshore wind project cost breakdown is specified and illustrated by hierar-
chy diagram and charts in Chapter 2.2. System cost breakdown structure (SCBS) devel-
oped by NREL is used in order to interpret the component costs for an offshore wind
project.

Due to distinctive policies and regulations for each different country, the cost components
for offshore wind project are slightly different from region to region. However, this chapter
only discusses the cost breakdown in a general way.

2.1 Offshore wind CoE description

The full lifetime cost of a wind power plant is divided into two main parts, capital expendi-
ture and operational expenditure (later referred to as CAPEX and OPEX). Unlike the
traditional power plant, which consumes fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas to
generate electricity, a wind power plant requires no fuel cost, which is one of the funda-
mental motivations for wind energy investment. Nevertheless, even without the fuel cost
during the operational phase, the cost of electricity produced from offshore wind farm is
still extremely high.
The cost of power plant is typically divided to CAPEX and OPEX, yet, the actual price
also depends on subsidies, taxes, fuel price. For example in Finland, the carbon price is
low, but taxes for fossil fuels are high and subsidies for renewable energy are also high.

According to the report, Energy for the future or relic of the past written by Richard An-
derson, the cost of energy produced by offshore wind in 2015 was around 185$/MWh,
which is over 4 times higher than that of energy produced by gas(closed cycle), less than
40$/MWh. On the other hand, the cost of an offshore wind farm is much higher than that
of an onshore farm; however, with the improved technology, the cost differential con-
stantly narrows down. Figure 5 illustrates the comparison of cost breakdown between
onshore wind and offshore wind. It is seen that the electrical infrastructure and founda-
tions for an offshore wind farm accounted for about 45 % of the costs, which is over three
times the corresponding costs for an onshore wind farm.

Based on the current situation of offshore wind energy, it is doubtless to say that offshore
wind is indeed a capital-intensive investment, which is critical challenge for wind industry.
Nevertheless, according to global costs analysis [8], 2016 is the first year when the in-
stallation cost of offshore wind farm starts to decline, which is discussed in detail in Chap-
ter 4.

Figure 5 Cost Comparison between Onshore and Offshore Wind Projects

2.2 Offshore wind farm cost breakdown

As mentioned above, capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX)

are the two fundamental costs for an offshore wind farm. Each of them can be further
divided into several more detailed cost branches. For example, CAPEX can be decon-
structed into wind turbine, balance of plant (BOP), and financial costs. Likewise, OPEX
cost breakdown includes operation costs and maintenance costs. See Figure 6. It should
be noted that in practice, there are minor differences of cost component depending on
the market and that the cost breakdown of offshore wind discussed in this thesis applies
to the most general scenario.

Total Lifetime Expenditure

CAPEX OPEX

Financial Maintenanc
Turbine BOP Operation
Cost e

Figure 6 Wind Project Cost Breakdown [8]

2.2.1 System Cost Breakdown Structure (SCBS) Description

For the purpose of systematic management, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

(NREL) developed a system cost breakdown structure (SCBS), which can be both ap-
plied for onshore and offshore wind projects. SCBS identifies an offshore wind project at
a component level, providing a deeper view of project cost breakdown. All the cost com-
ponents are arranged in a hierarchy system, and by employing the system, users can
have a clear overview of relationships among each individual component and how they
are grouped together into system cost breakdown structure, and further manage and
analyze cost data in a more efficient way.

In this structure, total lifetime costs are divided into six levels from top to down. The lower
the level is, the more specific the cost component is. SCBS defines CAPEX and OPEX
as Level 1. Turbine, BOP and financial cost are three component costs of CAPEX; op-
eration and maintenance are two component costs of OPEX; therefore, logically, they
are identified as Level 2. Similarly, each of the remaining four levels are identified (Figure
7).

Figure 7 Level 1, 2 and 3 of SCBS [8]

NOTE: BOS refers to BOP (Balance of Plant)

With the descending level cost structure, the number of cost components increases (e.g.
5 cost components for Level 2; 22 cost components for Level 3), which is shown hierar-
chical information in SCBS. In total, over 300 cost components are included.

2.2.2 Benefits and limitations

SCBS is a standardized approach which defines a wind project expenditure specifically
at the component cost level. The hierarchical system describes both the position of each
cost (e.g. tower module cost is in Level 3) and the relationship between each cost (e.g.
Tower module cost is under Turbine category and is parallel with Nacelle module cost).
SBBS has three benefits:
 Government, investor, or project developer can manage and manipulate cost
data issues in an efficient way.
 As there are clearly defined expenditure categories, the chance of double
counting decreases as well
 It is easier to make cost comparison across different data sources, and it is
more precise due to the simplified structure.

Nevertheless, even though SCBS is able to represent the general wind project charac-
teristics, there are still some limitations for SCBS adoption. Entities may use a different
approach to collect and analyze cost data; therefore, it may be unable to compare the
expenditure from project to project due to different standards for subcomponents. Fur-
thermore, owing to various technical specifications, projects may have different cost
components (e.g. a direct-drive wind turbine does not have a gearbox). Therefore, it is
necessary to mention that SCBS cannot perfectly be utilized for every practical projects.

3 Levelized Cost of Energy for Offshore Wind

Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is an economic assessment of the average total cost
to build and operate a power-generating asset over its lifetime divided by the total energy
output of the asset over that lifetime [5]. It is an essential and fundamental consideration
for the cost of electricity generated from power plant during its whole lifetime. In this
chapter, LCOE of two OWFs is elaborated on by employing the developed financial mod-
eling. The chapter consists of introduction of developed financial modeling, explanation
of each key performance indicator, and LCOE calculation of reference projects by using
financial modeling.

3.1 Financial modeling

Financial modeling is an important tool for project evaluation and decision. It illustrates
project payment and cash flow, delivering annual revenue, net present value (NPV), and
 internal rate of return (IRR) for the investor. Normally, the economic feasibility of wind
power projects are highly determined by financial modeling.

3.1.1 Overview

In this thesis, a financial modeling for LCOE calculation of wind projects was developed.
The financial model is based on Excel spreadsheet calculations and aims to analyze and
compare different scenarios for certain wind projects so as to evaluate the effect of each
financial assumption and make the corresponding adjustments.

Theoretical basis for the LCOE model is formed by K2M1; however, it is important to note
that in this thesis, the developed mathematical tool is a simple version of financial mod-
eling, and it is only for LCOE calculation. Cash flow, relevant payment, NPV, IRR are not
considered and calculated in this mathematical tool.

The financial model consists of 5 worksheets, and the function of each sheet is shown in
Table 2 below. The main worksheets, Input, Modeling, and Output are defined in follow-
ing chapters.

Table 2 LCOE Financial Modeling Structure

Worksheet Function
INSTRUCTION  Provides an overview of the financial modeling and ex-
plains functions of each worksheet
INPUT  Populates general information and assumptions of
wind project
MODELING  Calculates the associated key performance indicators
of multiple model runs.
 Key performance indicators include annual AEP,
CAPEX, and OPEX
OUTPUT  Delivers the results and chosen project scenario and
evaluates the LCOE of chosen wind farm project
REFERENCE DATA  A supportive sheet for data validation of INPUT work-
sheet

1 In this thesis, K2M is the short for K2 Management, http://www.k2management.com/.

3.1.2 Input

The Input worksheet is considered as an interface to apply wind farm basic information
and financial assumptions. It builds the foundation of calculation and defines the param-
eters used for calculation in the Modeling worksheet. The worksheet consists of five
items: wind farm information, valuation assumption, power production assumption,
CAPEX assumption and OPEX assumption. Each item includes few indicators to be
specified. The construction of Input worksheet is illustrated in Figure 8.

Wind farm information

•Country
•Onshore/Offshore
•Turbine Type
•Rated capacity
•Number of turbines
•Installed capacity
Valuation assumption
•Currency
•Unit
•Entry-year for valuation
•Valuation data
•Pricing year
•WACC
Power production assption
•Operational lifetime
•First power
•Last power
•Capacity factor
•Power price inflaton multiple

CAPEX assumption
•CAPEX/MW
•Total CAPEX
•CAPEX share (first power year) -3
•CAPEX share (first power year) -2
•CPAEX share (first power year) -1
•CPAEX share (first power year)

OPEX assumption
•OPEX driver
•OPEX multiple (per unit production cost)
 Figure 8 Financial Modeling Input Worksheet Structure2

In the Input worksheet, a maximum of three scenarios can be applied so as to compare

the LCOE of different scenarios. Initially, each indicator is required to be inserted, then
the number of applied scenario is input in single cell. LCOE is calculated automatically
in the modeling worksheet, and the result is delivered in the Output worksheet. By chang-
ing the number of applied scenario, LCOE can be further compared.

It is important to note that the quality of LCOE calculation highly depends on the quality
of Input data, including technical parameters, for example, capacity factor and financial
assumption such as CAPEX/MW, OPEX Multiple, inflation multiple and discount factor3.
In this modeling, the input of CAPEX/MW, OPEX Multiple are defined as the Level 1 cost
of SCBS (described in 2.2.1); thus, the cost component of CAPEX and OPEX (Level 2,
Level 3…) cannot be described in the modeling. In addition, LCOE calculation is highly
sensitive to the underlying data and assumptions used for project key parameters; there-
fore, it is crucial to apply data within the range of reasonable estimation.

3.1.3 Modeling

Modeling functions as calculation worksheet. LCOE of a wind project is calculated over

the full lifetime of the plant, including development, construction, and operation4. Devel-
opment and construction duration is set to be 3 years; operation duration is set to be 25
years; based on generic case, yet, the duration of each phase can be adjusted based on
project circumstance.

In Modeling worksheet, electricity production, CAPEX and OPEX are calculated on an

annual basis based on input data. In addition, by applying power price inflation multiple
in Input worksheet, the annual inflation rate is calculated, and the annual operational
expenditure is further determined.

2 CAPEX share(first power year) - 3 is to count backwards of 3 years from the first power year,
for instance, if the first power year is 2017, then CAPEX share(first power year) - 3 is 2014.
3
Discount factor is typically reflected by weighted average costs of capital (WACC).
4 Due to the complexity and various executed standards of decommissioning, the decommission-
ing of wind power plant is not considered in the modeling.
It is necessary to point out that, in practice, in order to provide investor with useful
IRR/NPV, the type of subsidy should be seriously considered in financial model. How-
ever, as the current version of modeling cannot deliver IRR and NPV, the type of subsidy
is not considered as one of the key parameters of the modeling.

The LCOE model outline is constructed based on the following formula and major calcu-
lation parameters are presented in the Table 3.

Table 3 Major Calculation Parameters for LCOE

Notation Definition
PV Present value
n Full lifetime of wind power plant (yr)
DF Discount factor (%)
AEP Annual energy production (MWh)
WACC Weighted average costs of capital (%)

PtD Periods to discount (yr)

i Inflation rate (%)

CF Capacity factor (%)

CO Capacity operational (%)

3.1.4 Output

The Output worksheet provides a project summary statement based on the calculations.
The Output outline is presented in Table 4.

Table 4 Output Indicators and Interpretations

Output Interpretation
Full lifetime of wind farm  Development and construction
phase: 3 years
 Operational phase: 25 years
Capital expenditure Annual CAPEX (normally the first 4 years dur-
ing the lifetime of wind farm)
Operational expenditure Annual OPEX (normally starts from the 4th
year)
AEP Annual production (normally starts from the
4th year)
WACC Financial assumption
Valuation date The precise date that the data and assump-
tion of wind power plant are applied
Discount factor Discount factor for each year during the life
time of wind farm plant
PV (CAPEX)/PV (OPEX)/PV (Produc- Key results indicators
tion)/LCOE

As a key result indicator, LCOE of the chosen wind project is delivered, and it is a fun-
damental consideration for project feasibility study. Moreover, the calculated results are
also visible in header information.

3.2 Input parameters

3.2.1 Capital Expenditure

Capital expenditure (CAPEX), is also known as fixed cost (a cost that does not change
with an increase of decrease in the amount of goods or services produced or sold) [6].
According to SCBS, the CAPEX of an offshore wind project consists of three parts,
namely, turbine, BOP, and financial cost, covering project development, deployment,
commissioning, which are shown in Figure 9.
 Figure 9 Capital Expenditures for the Offshore Reference Wind Plant Project [8]5

3.2.2 Operational Expenditure

Operational expenditure covers all the costs paid after the windfarm take over point in-
cluding operation costs and maintenance costs, which are required to maintain plant
availability. OPEX is normally annualized cost with the unit €/MWh (kWh). As a percent-
age of LCOE, OPEX makes up a considerably higher portion for offshore project than
onshore.
Operation cost covers all the non-equipment costs of operations for a windfarm,
● Environmental, health, and safety monitoring
● Annual leases, fees, and other costs of doing business
● Insurance
● Operation, management, and general administration

5
The market price adjustment is the difference between the modeled cost and the average mar-
ket price paid for the typical project in 2014.
Maintenance cost covers the following vessel, labor and equipment costs of operations
for the windfarm:
● Long-term service agreement
● Scheduled maintenance
● Unscheduled maintenance

3.2.3 Annual Energy Production

In this thesis, AEP refers to the annual energy production of a wind power plant, normally
stated as kWh or MWh. Due to the inconstant wind speed, the actual wind power pro-
duction can never reach theoretical maximum production. AEP is one of the key factors
that affect the level of LCOE. The more electricity generated from the wind power plant,
the lower LCOE.
As stated above, AEP is calculated based on installed capacity of wind farm, capacity
factor, and capacity operational, and capacity factor plays the most important role among
them.

The capacity factor is determined by several parameters, including, for example, rrepre-
sentative wind resource, rotor diameter, hub height, generator technology. Normally, the
capacity factor ranges from 15% - 50%, typically speaking, due to better wind resource
in the sea area, the capacity factor of offshore wind farm is higher than that of onshore
wind farm. According to the statistics of European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), in
Europe, the average capacity factors for onshore and offshore are respectively 24% and
41% [7].
With the improved generator technology and optimized design of wind turbine blade, the
capacity factor increases continuously, thus to raise energy yield accordingly.

3.3 Reference project introduction

In this thesis, the Vesterhav Nord and Syd wind farm and the Borssele 1 and 2 wind farm
are selected as reference projects. Both of them are considered as the latest represent-
atives of nearshore and offshore wind projects due to large installed capacity and great
site condition.
Offshore wind farm descriptions of Vesterhav Nord and Syd and Borssele 1 and 2 project
are summarized in Table 5 below:
 Table 5 Summary Description of Reference Projects

Nearshore Offshore
LOCATION & Project Name Vesterhav Nord and Syd Borssele 1 and 2
NAME Location Denmark Netherlands
Installed Capacity 350MW 750MW
WTG & CAPAC- Turbine Model Siemens SWT-8.0-154 6 Siemens SWT-8.0-154
ITY Turbine Capacity 8MW 8MW
Number of Turbines 44 WTGs 94 WTGs
Foundation Type Monopile Monopile
FOUNDATION &
Water Depth(average) 20 m 28 m
SITE COND.
Distance From Shore 6 km 22 km
Offshore Substations 0 2
ARRAY/EXPORT
Nominal Export Voltage NA 220 kV
CABLES
Array Voltage NA 66kV
Note: the turbine model for Vesterhav wind farm is assumed as Siemens SWT-8.0-154
so as to be comparable for two projects
SOURCE: K2M

3.3.1 Vesterhav Nord & Syd

Vesterhav Nord & Syd nearshore wind farms are located in the offshore area outside
Hvide Sande and Thyborøn on the west coast of Jutland in Denmark. The location of
Vesterhav Nord & Syd is shown in Figure 10 and Figure 11.

6 The turbine model chosen for Vesterhav Nord and Syd is an assumption for comparison.
 Figure 10 Location of Vesterhav Nord and Syd Nearshore Wind Farm [12]

Figure 11 Location of Vesterhav Nord and Syd [13]

The total wind farm capacity is 350MW, dividing into 170MW for Vesterhav Nord and
180MW for Vesterhav Syd. The Vesterhav wind farm covers an area of 116km2 in total
(Vesterhav Nord: 59km2; Vesterhav Syd: 57km2), located around 6km from the west
coast of Jutland. The water depth of that area ranges from 15m to 25m, and the annual
average wind speed is 10.19m/s7 [5].

7 The wind speed is 10-year mean wind speed with the height 100 meters.
Siemens SWT154, 8.0 MW is assumed as the wind turbine model for Vesterhav wind
farm. The same turbine is chosen for the Borssele 1 and 2 wind farm in order to reach
comparability.

3.3.2 Borssele 1 and 2

With the advantage of great offshore wind potential, the Netherlands government has
developed the Borssele wind farm zone (BWFZ), which is located in the southern part of
the North Sea. With the total capacity of 1400MW, BWFZ will be the largest wind farm in
the EU. BWFZ covers approximately 344km2, and it includes four zones: Borssele 1,
Borssele 2, Borssele 3 and Borssele 4. In this thesis, only Borssele 1 and 2 are dis-
cussed. The location and layout of Borssele 1 and 2 are shown as Figure 12 and Figure
13.

Figure 12 Location of Borssele 1 and 2 [13]

 Figure 13 Borssele 1 (green) and Borssele 2 (red) SOURCE: K2M

The total wind farm capacity is 700MW, dividing into 350MW (Zone1) and 350MW
(Zone2). The two zones cover an area of 112.6 km2 in total (Borssele 1: 49.1km2; Bors-
sele 2: 63.5km2), located around 22km from the coast of the Dutch province of Zeeland.
Water depth of that area ranges from 14m to 38m and annual average wind speed is
10.21m/s8 [5]. Siemens SWT154, 8.0 MW is selected as a wind turbine for Borssele 1
and 2.

3.4 LCOE calculation of reference projects

3.4.1 Input Parameters and Assumptions

A reference project overview for Vesterhav Nord and Syd and Borssele 1 and 2 wind
farms is descried in Chapter 3.3. Major input parameters and assumptions of the refer-
ence projects applied in the financial modeling are summarized in Table 6.

8 The wind speed is 10-year mean wind speed with the height 100 meters.
 Table 6 Input Assumptions for Vesterhav Nord and Syd and Borssele 1 and 2

Vesterhav Nord and Syd Borssele 1 and 2

WACC 5% 5%
Operational lifetime 25 years 25 years
Capacity factor 39% 42%
Power price inflation 2% 2%
multiple
CAPEX/MW 2.5m€ 2.69m€
CAPEX share (first power 1% 1%
year)-3
CAPEX share (first power 1% 1%
year)-2
CAPEX share (first power 33% 33%
year)-1
CAPEX share (first power 65% 65%
year)
OPEX Multiple 19.06€/MWh 26.68€/MWh

It is necessary to emphasize that all the input assumptions in Table 6 are made by K2M;
they may differ from the real data. Input interface of financial modeling is shown in Figure
14.
 Figure 14 Input Interface of Financial Modeling by Applying Reference Projects

It is seen that both CAPEX and OPEX of Borssele 1 and 2 offshore wind farm are higher
than those of the Vesterhav Nord and Syd nearshore wind farm. Due to the farther dis-
tance from the shore, the capital cost and O&M cost for the offshore wind farm are higher
than those of the nearshore/onshore wind farm, for instance, the capital cost for Vester-
hav Nord and Syd and Borssele 1 and 2 are 2.5m€/MW and 2.69m€/MW, respectively,
and the O&M for these farms are 19.06€/MWh and 26.68€/MWh, respectively.

As the distance and water depth both increases, the cost for foundation, BOP and in-
stallation increases, as well as O&M cost during the operational phase. However, as a
result of better and stable wind resources, normally, the capacity factor of offshore wind
farm is higher (Vesterhav Nord and Syd: 39%; Borssele 1 and 2: 42%), thereby produc-
ing more electricity annually.
3.4.2 Calculation results

By changing the number of the applied scenario (Vesterhav Nord and Syd: 1, Borssele
1 and 2: 2), LCOE of the two reference projects are computed automatically using LCOE
financial modeling, as shown in Table 7.

Table 7 LCOE of Vesterhav Nord and Syd and Borssele 1 and 2 wind farm

Vesterhav Nord and Borssele 1 and 2

Syd
PV(CAPEX) 862.52 m€ 1918.81 m€
PV(OPEX) 384.87 m€ 1244.90 m€
PV(Production) 16,232,032 MWh 37,508,341 MWh
LCOE 77€/MWh 84€/MWh

Table 7 gives the calculated annual CAPEX, OPEX and AEP of Vesterhav Nord and Syd
during full lifetime. Figure 16 is the key output of the modeling process.
Figure 15 Annual CAPEX, OPEX and AEP of Vesterhav Nord and Syd Wind Farm
 Figure 16 LCOE of Vesterhav Nord and Syd

(𝟖𝟔𝟐.𝟓𝟐𝒎€+𝟑𝟖𝟒.𝟖𝟕𝒎€)∗𝟏𝟎^𝟔
LCOE Vesterhav Nord and Syd = 𝟏𝟔𝟐𝟑𝟐𝟎𝟑𝟐𝑴𝑾𝒉

= 77€/MWh
Figure 17 gives the calculated annual CAPEX, OPEX and AEP of Borssele 1 and 2 during full lifetime. Figure 18 is the key output of the
modeling process.

Figure 17 Annual CAPEX, OPEX and AEP of Borssele 1 and 2 wind farm
 Figure 18 LCOE of Borssele 1 and 2
(𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟖.𝟖𝟏𝒎€+𝟏𝟐𝟒𝟒.𝟗𝟎𝒎€)∗𝟏𝟎^𝟔
LCOE Borssele 1 and 2= 𝟑𝟕𝟓𝟎𝟖𝟑𝟒𝟏𝑴𝑾𝒉

= 84€/MWh

It is seen that, based on the results of two reference projects, the LCOE of an offshore wind
farm is higher than that of a nearshore wind farm; however, the conclusion is draw on the
premise of same financial assumptions (inflation rate, WACC). In practice, the financial as-
sumptions may vary case to case, in addition, other factors, such as subsidy scheme, policy
and regulations, also play a significant role on cost of wind energy. In the following Chapter 4,
the LCOE of offshore wind energy for different countries is elaborated comprehensively.

4 Cost of Offshore Wind Energy in Different Markets

In this Chapter, the cost of offshore wind energy in four countries, United Kingdom, China,
South Korea, Japan, has been analysed from the point of view of technique and policy and
regulation, as well as the development trend of wind power. The purpose of this chapter is to
elaborate how the input parameters affect LCOE offshore wind power; besides the input pa-
rameters above, how the policies and regulations influence the cost level of wind power as
well.

4.1 United Kingdom

4.1.1 Overview

The UK holds the leading position of offshore wind industry across the world in terms of design,
development, financing, construction and operation. With the implementation of numerous off-
shore wind farms, the UK has emerged as the most prominent offshore wind energy market in
Europe.
- Highest share of consented offshore wind capacity
 - Largest installed capacity of offshore wind power (5,067MW in total by 2015, see Fig-
ure 19 and 10,000MW on track by 2020)
- Wind energy is the biggest single source of renewable energy (10% of the UK’s elec-
tricity supply is provided by wind energy).
- 11% of the UK’s total electricity supply was provided by wind power in 2015

Figure 19 Global Cumulative Offshore Wind Capacity in 2015 and Annual Cumulative
Capacity (2011-2015) [6]

By the end of 2015, there were 29 offshore wind farms in UK with operational capacity over
5,1GW and further 4,5GW are under construction. The location of the UK's offshore wind re-
source provides for geographical diversification across the UK territorial waters and the Conti-
nental Shelf. Figure 20 illustrates the distribution of the UK offshore wind farm. Most offshore
wind farms (over 80%) are located in English waters.
 Figure 20 UK Offshore Wind Map 2015 [12]

By the end of 2016, the offshore cost data has shown that the average of LCOE of the UK
offshore wind farm is £97/MWh, achieving 32% reduction of £142/MWh on the end of 2011 [9].
Larger rated turbines and innovation of installation pose the largest impact on reduction of
LCOE. Figure 21 demonstrates the reduction of LCOE for projects reaching Final Investment
Decision (FID) from 2010 to 2016 [9]. In addition, the UK government has committed to reduce
the strike price so as to ensure further cost reduction.

Figure 21 UK Offshore Wind Levelized Cost of Energy at FID

Figure 22 has illustrates the advantages of offshore wind market in the UK and competitive-
ness, mainly reflecting in 4 aspects, wind resources, offshore technology, supply chain and
policy and regulation. Each aspect was discussed thoroughly in following paragraphs.

Figure 22 Advantages and Competitiveness of the UK Offshore Wind

4.1.2 Wind resources

The location of the UK makes it owns extremely rich wind resources, and most of it are con-
centrated in the north and west area, especially in Scotland which has higher w and lower
population density. [14] See Figure 23.
 Figure 23 UK Annual Mean Wind Power Density at 100m Above Sea Level (W/m2)
[14]

4.1.3 Technology

Turbine
The biggest driver of wind cost reduction in the UK is the larger rated turbine. Walney Extension
(659MW) and Burbo Bank Extension (254MW) offshore wind farms have adopted turbines with
8MW nameplate capacity. With improved turbine technology, larger wind turbine, such as
8MW, almost as twice size as the previous standard, is becoming the development tendency
in offshore wind industry. The generation cost is lower in the long run due to less foundation,
subsea cables and maintenance cost to produce same power as multiple small-sized turbines.
Furthermore, energy generation is largely depends on availability, reliability and longevity of
the wind turbines. Larger offshore turbines with optimized rotor diameter and control system
deployed in UK boost wind turbine productivity and reliability. Design and manufacturing im-
provements notably promoted turbine reliability thereby reducing the frequency and cost of
unscheduled maintenance.

With increased availability & reliability and prolonged life-span of turbines, the capacity factor
and the capacity operation of OWF keep increasing, further mitigating OPEX through better
energy capture and conversion. Figure 24 has shown a depiction of the OWF capacity factor
distribution and how the capacity factor in the UK changes over time. In this chart, data of 22
UK offshore wind farms which are currently in operation is collected and plotted, see Table 8
and Figure 24 [10]. The x-axis represents the operation years for each OWF and the y-axis
represents the corresponding capacity factor. It can be clearly seen that the primary trend of
the capacity factor of offshore wind power is growing over time; to be specific, the OWF which
started operating before 2010 have lower CP (below 40%); with improved offshore technology,
the capacity factor increases over 40% for OWF which started operating after 2010.

Table 8 Operation Years and Capacity Factors of OWF in UK [10]9

OWF Years of Capacity
operation Factor
Kentish Flats Extension 1,1 43,30%
Humber Gateway 1,6 41,10%
Westermost Rough 1,6 42,90%
West of Duddon Sands 2,2 44,20%
Lincs 3,3 42,00%
Sheringham Shoal 3,3 40,70%
Greater Gabbard 3,4 42,20%
London Array 3,7 41,10%
Walney phase 2 4,5 47,50%
Ormonde 4,9 40,10%
Walney phase 1 5,5 40,70%

9All the data in Table 8 was collected by the end of January, 2017. Data in the original source is updated
every month.
 Robin Rigg 6,3 35,10%
Thanet 6,3 32,80%
Gunfleet Sands 6,5 36,70%
Rhyl Flats 7,1 32,80%
Inner Dowsing 7,8 34,10%
Lynn 7,8 34,50%
Burbo Bank 9,2 35,80%
Barrow 10,3 35,90%
Kentish Flats 11,1 31,20%
Scroby Sands 12,1 30,60%
North Hoyle 12,5 31,80%

Figure 24 Capacity Factor Distribution of OWF in the UK

BOP
Improved balance of plant (BOP) components, such as electrical infrastructure and foundation,
are also critical to drive the offshore LCOE down. With the increased rated capacity of offshore
turbine, 33kV inter-array cables is replaced with the higher voltage IAC (66kV) step by step.
AC/DC transmission solution with integrated/limited offshore platforms reduce the grid losses
and improve the power transmission efficiency between the high-power large turbines, as well
as diminish the transmission cost. Additionally, for offshore wind farms in the UK, the lighter
transformer greatly cut down the cost of bespoke substation.

The latest foundation technology is applicable to wider range of site characteristics and higher
capacity turbines. Foundation with improved foundation design enables installation of larger
turbines in offshore area further always from coastline without increasing the cost of energy.

Supply chain
The offshore industry, cooperated with the UK government, has built a competitive and inno-
vative supply chain, and mainly covering 6 elements as:
● Project management and development
● Turbine supply
● Balance of plant supply
● Installation and commissioning
● Operation, maintenance and service (OMS)

The competitiveness of the UK offshore supply chain is embodied in the following aspects:
● Great number of the UK based manufactures, saving transportation cost due to logis-
tical advantages
● Strong track record and capability to deliver improved turbine, foundation, cable which
suitable for various site characteristics.
● Attract both domestic and foreign developers while intensive competition drives the
cost down at developer level.

Increased competition at developer level drives higher cost efficiency while the pressure is
deflected to supply chain where margin is reduced. The offshore cost in the UK is continuously
diminishing through technology innovation, delivering economic benefits.

Supply chain has been built through expansion. See Figure 26. The UK offshore expertise has
been exported across the world. The UK is a strong platform to boost manufacturing capability
and the government is also supportive to develop the capabilities and capacity of the UK based
companies, keeping the UK in a strong position to access the largest global market for offshore
wind. Figure 25 has demonstrates the share of export contracts by activity until 2020. [11]
Figure 25 Share of UK Export Contract of Wind Industry by Activity [11]
Figure 26 UK Wind and Marine Energy Industry Map
Offshore logistics
Offshore logistics and installation play an essential role for offshore wind project, representing
around 15% of project life cycle expenditures. The UK offers significant offshore logistic ad-
vantages and mature supply chain in the UK enables faster installation and less weather. Asset
accessibility is a pivotal factor during installation work considering deeper water, higher wave
and weather limitations.

Besides of various OEMs, competitive advantage of the UK offshore market also lies in the
advanced vessels covering survey, construction & installation, operation & maintenance. Mul-
tipurpose vessels with higher capability and availability is applicable for wind farms being far-
ther offshore and capable to minimize and combine offshore activities. Meanwhile, advanced
vessel design allows to accommodate more turbines or/and foundations per vessel which in-
creasing installation efficiency and optimizing O&M performance, hence lowering the LCOE of
offshore wind.

Operations & Maintenance

As a fundamental contributor to the cost of energy, O&M cost accounts for approximately 25%
of the life-time expenditure and occurs throughout the lifetime of wind farm. Due to the rapid
growth of the UK offshore wind industry, the enormous market for Operation & Maintenance
service is emerging, being able to cover the full range of O&M activities, making the UK com-
petitive with other countries. Reducing the cost of electricity from offshore wind farms is a
primary focus for O&M, and competitiveness also promotes companies to bring solutions to
the market which reduce costs and boost revenue.

Generally speaking, compare to other countries, the UK cost-effective O&M strategy enables
fewer breakdowns and less response time, which are two fundamental factors to lower OPEX.
To be specific, except higher turbine availability and reliability which minimize breakdowns as
mentioned above, advanced remote monitoring and control system adopted, less transit time
and higher accessibility to the site promote OWF performance and enable to make unsched-
uled activities more predictable, thereby reducing OPEX and diminishing the offshore LCOE.

4.1.4 Policies and Regulations

The UK government has been supportive to wind industry, and the primary activities include
[12]:
- Providing market confidence and demand visibility
- Building a competitive supply chain
- Supporting innovation (vital to achieve cost reduction)
- Finance
- Building a highly skilled workforce

In order to reduce the costs of offshore wind continuously, the UK government has established
and introduced various policies and financial supports to advocate technology development,
and leveraging the power of partnership and collaboration to accelerate cost reductions, see
Table 9.
Table 9 The UK Renewable Energy Support Policies

Support Types Support Policies

Renewables Obligation (RO)
Financial Support Scheme
Contracts for Difference (CFD)
Electricity Market Reform
Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator pro-
Government-Industry
gramme
Collaboration Programmes
Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult
Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Task
The removal of exemption from the Climate

Other economic incentives Change Levy

Enterprise zone funding

Renewable Obligations (RO)

Introduced in 2002 (RO) was the financial mechanism applied for renewable energy projects
10
before April, 2017, and its tenure is 20 years support period. Electricity suppliers are obli-
gated to source an increasing proportion of the electricity they supply from renewable sources.
11

For accredited renewable generating stations, renewables obligation certificates

(ROC) are issued to the operators. ROCs are certificates issued to operators of ac-

10 RO is only applied for large scale, smaller scale wind power plants are mainly supported by FIT.
11 Renewable Obligations (RO) is replaced with Contract for Difference (CfD) from April, 2017.
 credited renewable generating stations for the eligible renewable electricity they gen-
erate. Operators can trade ROCs with other parties. ROCs are ultimately used by
suppliers to demonstrate that they have met their obligation. (Source: GOV.UK)

Figure 27 illustrates principle mechanism of RO financial mechanism.

Figure 27 Renewable Obligations (RO) [18]

According to the regulations, per unit wind power (MWh) equals to 0.9 Renewable Obligation
Certificates (ROCs) for onshore wind farm; and 1.8 ROC per MWh for offshore wind farm.
Each ROC is worth 40£ (46€) and ROC income is on top of wholesale power revenue, in the
range 30£ - 40£/MWh (35€-46€).

CFD
As a key part of Electricity Market Reform introduced by government, Contract for Difference
(CfD) is an incentive mechanism to promote renewable energy in the UK. Contract for Differ-
ence (CfD) is a 15-year fixed price contract and it provides greater certainty and stability of
revenues to electricity generators, offering relatively low risk profile. By attracting more wind
energy investments, the generation cost keeps bringing down, with competitive bids submitted.
According to Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy of UK:
 Contract for Difference (CfD) is a private law contract between a low carbon electricity
generator and the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC), a government-owned com-
pany. A generator party to a CFD is paid the difference between the strike price and the
reference price. Strike price may be an administered price set by the government or, in
circumstances of high demand for contracts, the clearing price from a competitive auction,
see Figure 28.

Figure 28 Offshore Wind Strike Price (2012 prices) [12]

Figure 29 below has demonstrated principle mechanism of CfD. When the market price of
electricity is lower than strike price, then the payments are made by LCCC to the electricity
generator to make up the difference and vice versa.

Figure 29 Principle of Contract for Difference 12 [12]

The economic benefits of CfD include:

- A feed-in tariff that provides a top-up payment above the wholesale price of electricity
up to a fixed price, referred to as strike price.

12Strike price is a price for electricity reflecting the cost of investing in a particular low carbon technology.
Reference price is a measure of the average market price for electricity in the GB market. Source:
GOV.UK
 - A competitive allocation process for generators.
- Linked to a fixed Levy Control Framework which sets the amount of funding available.
- Attracts more investment to wind energy.
- Reduce capital cost as much as possible (lowest possible cost for consumer)

Besides of RO and CfD, revenues for renewable generators are also supported through, first,
the exemption from the UK’s Climate Change Levy – realized through the sale of Levy Exemp-
tion Certificates (LECs); secondly, EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the UK’s Carbon Price
Floor to achieve avoided costs of carbon emissions. [13]

Consenting process for offshore

The consenting period for offshore wind in the UK is much shorter than that of other countries,
and it takes around 22 months. The approval rates is also considered high, around 90% [14],
bringing market confidence and lower project risks. Consenting process for the offshore wind
project includes two key stages:
- An Agreement for Lease (AfL)
- Lease

Agreement Statutory Constructio

Exclusively
Consenting Lease n&
Agreement for Lease Process Operation

Figure 30 Consenting Process for Offshore Wind Project UK [12]

4.2 China

4.2.1 Overview

Offshore wind power in China is still at the primary stage, and cost has been a major deterrent
for the offshore wind development. According to the statistics from Carbon Trust, deployment
cost of OWF with shore distance less than 15km in China is ranging from €1.5m/MW to
€1.6m/MW, showing a bit higher than the deployment cost in the UK. The current development
is facing both opportunities and challenges, and constrained by weaknesses, causing the rel-
ative high LCOE for offshore wind.
Most of China’s energy demand is concentrated along the east costal area; and by utilizing the
offshore wind resources efficiently could significantly relieve the pressure of eastern electricity
supply. Nevertheless, unlike onshore wind, which contributes the majority of wind power gen-
eration, offshore wind is developing slowly. The total installed wind capacity until 2015 is
145,362MW, for which offshore wind accounts merely 0.7% (cumulative capacity for offshore
is 1,014.68MW until 2015). However, 200GW of offshore wind power at water depth between
5 and 25 meters has been identified, with additional 300GW offshore wind at water depth be-
tween 25 and 50 meters, showing huge potential of offshore wind power development and cost
reduction.

Challenges that contribute to the high development cost are summarized as technical barriers
and non-technical barriers, followed with detailed discussion. See Table 10 and Table 11.
Technical barriers mainly focus on turbines, foundations, installation and O&M of offshore wind
farms. Non-technical barriers are explained from the perspective of developers, policies and
regulations.

4.2.2 Wind resources

Compare to European countries, China has relatively poorer wind resources. Figure 31 has
shown the distribution of annual average wind power density in 5-50m depth sea areas of
China [15].The wind speed increases from north to south along China’s east coast; wind re-
sources sufficient for offshore wind power deployment are mainly located in the southeast
coast areas. The most abundant wind resources are based in the area of Taiwan Strait. Aver-
age wind speed of coast area of Fujian is between 8-10 m/s, and the neighboring provinces,
such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, have slightly lower wind speed, around 6-7.5 m/s,
where are also rich in wind resources and largely influenced by typhoon and tropical monsoon.
 Figure 31 Average Wind Power Densities in 5-50m Depth Sea Areas of China [15]

4.2.3 Technical barriers

Table 10 has summarized the technical barriers of offshore wind development in China.
 Table 10 Technical Barriers of Offshore Wind Development in China

Impact On
Category Current Situation Lifetime
Expenditure
Turbines with lower rated capac- High CPAEX and
Turbine size
ity, ranging from 3MW-5MW OPEX
Turbine Lower rate of availability, normally
Turbine High OPEX
availability below 95%
Turbine Extra cost on
Anti-corrosion solution
corrosion CAPEX
Shallow water and smooth sub-
Water depth Reduce CAPEX
marine topography
Increase installa-
Seabed Weak and unconsolidated
tion cost and
condition seabed
OPEX
Extreme Increase installa-
Foundation weather Typhoon mostly in Taiwan Strait tion cost and
condition OPEX
Foundation
corrosion Corrosion resistant coating;
and fatigue Lack of standard for quality verify- Increase CPAEX
problem ing

Vessel
Lack of installation vessels
availability Increase
Installation Too soft to use traditional installa- installation cost
Seabed
tion vessel but floating installation
condition
vessels
More frequent repair and mainte-
Operation O&M
nance work due to lower turbine
& experience
availability Increase OPEX
Maintenanc
Access Lack of access vessels and lim-
e
vessels ited capability
 Monitoring Adopt monitoring tools developed
software by European countries

Turbines
● Turbine size
Currently the majority of turbines installed for offshore wind farm are 3MW, even though
a number of Chinese manufacturers are developing larger turbines with capacity 5MW
or 6MW, they are not deployed in large scale so far. Compare with large turbine, the
current employed offshore turbines in China mostly are small ones in terms of name-
plate capacity, which may increase the cost including extra cable cost, installation cost
and further O&M cost.
● Turbine availability
Most of offshore turbines are supplied by Chinese OEM. From the cost perspective,
although the Chinese turbine is cheaper than turbines manufactured by European
OEMs, turbine availability, a key driver for achieving favorable project economic bene-
fit, is lower than that of European offshore wind turbines whose TA can achieve over
95%. High availability is the pivotal factor for the economics of any OWF due to the
high O&M cost. The lower rate of availability of Chinese offshore turbine, namely, low
system reliability and insufficient maintenance capability, directly causes lower produc-
tion and more repair and maintenance work that further increase the OPEX.
● Turbine corrosion
Given the fact that China has quite unique coastal characteristics, turbines installed in
such areas are subjected to corrosion issue which may reduce turbine availability.
Therefore, in order to expand the lifetime of OWF in China, anti-corrosion solutions are
necessary to meet the geographical and climate conditions in China, causing extra cost
of turbines.

Foundations
● Water depth
 As an advantage, China has shallow water and relative smooth submarine topography
off the coast which is suitable for various adoption of foundation types. In comparison,
unlike South Korea or Japan where the more expensive floating foundation is favored,
diverse cheaper foundations can be adopted for offshore wind farm in China, namely,
lower CAPEX can be implemented. Additionally, during the operation phase, shallow
water depth and short distance from shore decrease the OPEX owing to the ease of
access.
● Sea bed condition
The sea bed condition in China is another site characteristic different from European
countries. Unlike the firmer sea bed condition in Europe, the upper layer of sea bed in
China contains muddy and silty clay from 0-25m, showing unconsolidated characteris-
tic. A very thick layer of soft soil is laying beneath the upper layer (See Figure 32).

Figure 32 Typical Sea Bed Condition in Coastal Area of China [24]

Additionally, due to the weak and soft sea bed condition, accurate preparation of sea-
bed and cable protection are crucial for OWFP development, thereby causing addi-
tional expenditure. Considering both the seabed characteristics and the ability to with-
stand turbulent movement of ocean, currently, types of WTG foundation are limited and
the most popular foundation for offshore wind farm in China are high-rise pile caps and
monopiles. More offshore foundation types are still under demonstration stage.
● Extreme weather condition
For the coastal area where are largely influenced by typhoon and tropical monsoon as
mentioned above, offshore foundation should be designed specifically to resistant ex-
treme weather condition, thereby reducing economic risks.
● Foundation corrosion and fatigue
 As similar as offshore turbines, foundations are confronted with corrosion and fatigue
problems. Special coatings for foundation can be effectively corrosion resistant, which
is not a critical issue. However, fatigue issue increases economic risk greatly as cur-
rently there is no standards or third party surveillance in place to verify the quality of
offshore foundations in terms of strength and reliability.

Installation
● Installation is the major cost for offshore wind farms in China due to the lack of off-
shore wind supply chain. The shortage of expertise and bespoke installation vessels
greatly increase project cost. Currently, there are only 6 vessels for turbine and foun-
dation installation and 2 vessels for cable installation.
● Additionally, due to the soft sea bed condition, types of installation & maintenance
vessel are limited and traditional jack-up vessel which dominate in Europe market is
not a favored option in China. By using floating installation vessel may resolve the dif-
ficulty, yet, it results in higher cost of installation.

Operation & Maintenance

● As mentioned above, lower availability and reliability of Chinese turbine and founda-
tion significantly increase O&M cost of OWF.
● So far, there is no sufficient access vessels and transfer systems to carry out the re-
pair and maintenance work. A lack of expertise also limits the operation window for
conducting the relative work.
● Currently, there is no software tools developed by Chinese company used for moni-
toring the operation of OWF. In China, most monitor software applied for offshore
wind farm O&M are developed by European companies, adding extra cost to OPEX.

4.2.4 Non-technical barriers

Table 11 has summarized the non-technical barriers of offshore wind development in China.
 Table 11 Non-Technical Barriers of Offshore Wind Development in China

Impact On Lifetime
Category Current Situation
Expenditure

Dominated by Chinese SOEs and

lack of competitiveness
Centrally controlled economy and
Developers High CAPEX
lower profitability
Limited offshore project develop-
ment experience

Lack of government coordination

Consenting Conflicts between multi govern-

High CAPEX
Process ment departments
Lengthy and complicated consent-
ing process
Lower feed-in tariff price
Feed-in tariff Unable to cover the costs of OWF Reduce LCOE of offshore
completely
Other economic Reward for OWF from local gov-
incentives ernment Reduce LCOE of offshore
Reduction of VAT and EIT

Developers
Different from European offshore market, offshore wind farms in China are mostly developed
by state-owned power utilities, therefore, most of offshore projects are invested to meet the
government targets instead of getting profit. Lack of foreign developers involved in market
reduces wind industry competitiveness of China. Central planned wind economy and lower
project profitability contributed to less motivation for wind developers to reduce offshore CoE.
98% of wind capacity has been installed by 8 Chinese SOEs, most of them have rich experi-
ence from onshore and oil & gas industry.
Consenting
Consenting process involves several government departments, together with insufficient coor-
dination, causing project delay and extra cost. Lack of government coordination during con-
senting process is one of policy challenge in China. For instance, the consenting process of
first concession round projects last 3 years. Although the regional governments have been
issued for certain authorities to process application, they often lack experiences to evaluate
project proposal and thereby transferring consenting process back to central government.

The fundamental obstacle is various conflicts among multi government agencies, especially
between National Energy Administration (NEA) and State Oceanic Administration (SOA). From
cost and technical challenge perspective, NEA prefers OWF to be installed closer to the shore;
on the contrary, in order to preserve wildlife conservation zone, fishing zone, and military zone,
SOA prefer OWF to be installed as far as possible. To resolve the conflict, according to regu-
lations released jointly by NEA and SOA for the development, construction and management
of offshore wind project, offshore wind farms should be located no less than 10 km from the
shore and 10 meters water depth if the tidal flat is more than 10 km wide. The layout of offshore
wind farms shall not be planned in all kinds of marine nature reserves, special marine protected
areas, important fishery waters, typical marine ecosystems, estuaries, gulfs and natural histor-
ical relics protection areas.

Feed-in tariff
The overly low feed-in tariff price is one of the major bottleneck for large scale offshore wind
development. For non-bidding offshore projects that operated before 2017(not including 2017),
the feed-in tariff price of intertidal zone and nearshore zone, announced by NDRC in June of
2014, are €0.1/kWh(¥0.75) and €0.12/kWh(¥0.85)(tax included) respectively [16]. For offshore
projects operated after 2017, the feed-in tariff price will be decided later based on technology
improvement and concession bidding condition.

Compare to the countries with well-developed offshore wind market, the current FIT price is
fairly low in China, see Table 12. Even though the investment cost of offshore wind per MW is
estimated to be 2 times of onshore wind, offshore FIT is just around 30% higher than onshore
FIT (€0.08/kWh), resulting in weak project economy.
 Table 12 Comparison of FIT Price between China and European Countries
Country Feed-in Tariff Price for offshore wind
(2016)
China 0.10€ - 0.12€/kWh
Germany 0.17€ - 0.22€/kWh
United Kingdom 0.21€/kWh
Denmark 0.15€/kWh
Italy 0.20€/kWh

For Fujian coastal area where wind speed is higher (8.5m/s) and more stable, the current FIT
is able to achieve certain economic benefit, however, for the area where wind speed is slightly
lower (7.5m/s), the current FIT price can’t cover the cost of OWF completely and it is difficult
for project developers to make commercial returns against such low FIT price. Nevertheless,
it is worth stressing that due to the immaturity of offshore industry in China and limited numbers
of commercial OWF in operation, the level of FIT is still in an exploratory stage. For the OWF
operating from 2017, the FIT price will be adjusted more objective and reasonable based on
the current OWF operation situation.

Other economic incentives

To support offshore wind industry development, there are also relevant subsidy policies issued
by provincial government such as
 For the electricity generated from offshore wind, Shanghai government rewards
0.027EUR per kWh to OWF owner for five consecutive years. For each offshore wind
farm, the annual incentive mount should be no more than CNY 50 million.
 Since 2009, central government has issued preferential tax policy for renewable en-
ergy investment, including the reduction of value added tax (VAT) and enterprise in-
come tax (EIT). For wind power investment, VAT has been reduced from 17% to
8.5% and EIT has been reduced from 33% to 15% [15].
4.3 South Korea

4.3.1 Overview

As a peninsula country, South Korea possess enormous wind energy potential provided by
2,413km coastline and mountainous terrain. Wind industry can benefit greatly from the im-
mense wind resource due to its high wind speed [17](see Figure 33). From Figure 33, it is
seen that, for offshore wind area, the sea area around Jeju Island offers the strongest air cur-
rents and has the highest average wind speed (around 8 – 9 m/s), therefore, vast majority of
offshore wind farms, both in operation and under development, are located in this area (See
Figure 34).

Figure 33 Average Wind Speed in South Korea [17]

 Figure 34 South Korea Offshore Wind Farms Distribution Map
SOURCE: K2M
Considering the geographical accessibility to construct wind farm, the available wind resource
potential (both onshore and offshore) is estimated at 294 million TOE annually, which is equiv-
alent to installation capacity of 433GW [17]. However, offshore wind market is not developed
as expected, until the end of 2015, the total installed capacity for offshore wind in South Korea
is only 5MW. The only one fully commissioned offshore project is the demonstrative offshore
windpark of Jeju island (Woljeongri 3MW +2MW), located at northeast of Jejudo.

The major obstacle of offshore wind development is the lower electricity price, due to several
reasons, including geographical environment, policies and regulations and relatively higher
CAPEX. Key drivers effecting the cost of offshore wind energy in South Korea are discussed
in following paragraph, including geographical environment, policies and regulation, turbine
and logistic.

4.3.2 Environmental factor

The main effect caused by environmental factor is that available sea area for offshore wind
development is strictly limited by considering both geographic and ecological factors. The lim-
ited size of wind farm eventually results in relative high LCOE than other countries inasmuch
as annual electricity production deceases. Due to the lower power price, industry competition
and economies of scale are extremely limited.

Water depth
Surrounded by Yellow Sea and East Sea, South Korea owns tremendous wind resources (see
Figure 33), yet, the available sea area suitable for installation of offshore wind farm is strictly
limited. For offshore wind farm installation, preferred water depth ranges from 10m to 25m,
nevertheless, it is only located within limited distance from South Korea coast. The water depth
suddenly rise up instantly in further offshore area, and the cost (mainly for foundation cost)
largely increases with the increasing water depth, diminishing the project feasibility.

Sea bed
The optimal sea bed condition for wind farm construction is identified as strong sand without
silt and clay. In the project area, silt layer whose thickness ranges from 30m to 70m is located
at the bottom of sea. The fact of seabed characteristics greatly increase the cost of foundation
owing to special construction condition, construction process and difficult degree for construc-
tion.
Furthermore, in the sea area around Jeju Island, sea bed is characterized as volcanic rock
type. Due to the physical properties of volcanic rock, cable installation in terms of methodology
and burial depths is more challenging than normal soil and sand sea bed. Traditional subsea
cable installation vessel and equipment are not applicable under this circumstances, resulting
in higher installation costs and cable maintenance cost during operational phase ultimately.

Coastal animal
During the whole lifetime of offshore wind farm, each different phase including construction,
operation and decommissioning, poses negative effect on coastal mammals and fish. For in-
stance, noise and vibration would cause individual and population disturbance for acoustic
species; construction work results in turbidity problem.
Due to the consideration of nearshore ecology environment protection, South Korea govern-
ment has set rules for offshore wind industry in which offshore wind energy cannot be con-
structed within the sea area 1km away from coast line.

4.3.3 Policies and regulations

In order to promote the development of renewable energy, South Korea government has set
up a series of supporting measures, including regulatory policies, fiscal incentives and public
financing support. Table 13 has demonstrated the specific support policy from each different
category. [17]

Table 13 South Korea Renewable Energy Support Policies [17]

Support Types Support Policies
Electric utility quota obligation/RPS
Regulatory Policies Net metering
Tradable REC
Capital subsidy, grant, or rebate
Investment or production tax credits
Fiscal Incentives
Reduction in sales, energy, CO2, VAT, or other
taxes

Public Financing Support Public investment, loans, or grants

Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)

From January of 2012, South Korea government has replaced the previous subsidy scheme
Feed-in Tariff (FIT) with renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to support the development of
renewable energy. Until the year of 2016, there are 18 power companies are identified as RPS
obligators who should secure the price scheme. According to RPS scheme and regulations,
the 18 obligators are required mandatorily to generate a specific fraction of electricity by using
renewable energy source. The RPS obligation rate increases each year and the latest obliga-
tion rate issued by Korean New and Renewable Energy Center of the Korean Energy Man-
agement Corporation is shown as Table 14:
 Table 14 RPS Ratio from 2016 To 2024

Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

RPS Ratio in
Power Gener- 3.5 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0
ation (%)
SOURCE: K2M

Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is the sum of System Marginal Price (SMP) and Renew-
able Energy Certificate (REC).
Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) = System Marginal Price (SMP) + Renewable En
ergy Certificate (REC)
= 0.069EUR/kWh + 0.089EUR/kWh
= 0.158EUR/kWh

The current market price of SMP is approximate 0.069EUR/kWh and REC is approximate
0.089EUR/kWh, while the previous FIT was a fixed price at around 0.08EUR /kWh (Source:
K2M). Figure 35 has shown the wind power price from February 2012 to March 2016.

Figure 35 Wind Power Price (2.2012-3.2016 Currency: KRW)

SOURCE: K2M
Under RECs system, renewable-generated power receives price above the market rate based
on the price of the REC multiplied by the weight value of the renewable energy source, de-
pending on its type, with offshore wind, tidal and fuel cells receiving the highest multiplier. To
be specific, 1 MWh power corresponds to 1.5 REC for offshore wind farm located within 5km
from shore; for further located offshore wind farm, 2REC is received for generating 1MWh
power. From March 2017, issued officially by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE),
a new REC system will be implemented. See table 15. The new REC system is divided into
fixed scheme and varying scheme, chosen by OWF owner to secure project profit.

Table 15 Current and New REC System, South Korea

Current REC System New REC System
Distance From OWF to Shore REC Weight Application Period
<5km ≥5km 1-5 years 6-15 years >16 years
1MWh = 1.5 REC 2 REC Fixed Scheme 2.0 REC
Varying Scheme 2.5 REC 2.0 REC 1.0 REC

SOURCE: K2M

Wind Tax Regulation

On the macro level, the tax of renewable energy poses a positive impact on decrease of LCOE
of offshore wind. Nevertheless, due to various local tax policies, for instance, wind tax levied
by Jeju provincial government, offshore wind economy is fairly weak. According to wind tax of
Jeju provincial government, 7% of sales or 17.5% of profit is required to pay on top of normal
taxes by offshore wind farm owners. From the project owner’s point of view, LCOE of offshore
wind increases in some ways accounting wind tax (profit sharing policies).

Other related regulations

There are still some other applicable regulations limiting or prohibiting offshore wind farm pro-
ject. For instance, military exercising area is prohibited to develop OWFP, which results in the
smaller size of project, eventually increasing LCOE.

4.3.4 OWF components and installation equipment & vessel

WTG, Foundation and Substation

Almost all of offshore wind project both in operation and under development chose local WTG
suppliers, such as Samsung, Daewoo. Compare with foreign suppliers, local WTG supplier is
not competitive both in technology and price. Hence, the cost per WTG in South Korea market
is in quite high level comparing to the other counties.
As mentioned above, due to geographic reasons (unfavorable water depth and harsh sea bed
condition), most of offshore foundations are required to specially designed, bringing to the
higher foundation cost.
Regard to substation, since most of OWFPs under development are quite close to the coast,
contrary to large scale OWFPs, offshore substations (OSS) are not required to be installed,
which results in the decrease of BOP cost.

Installation equipment & vessel

Due to the lack of local offshore construction experience and suitable construction equipment
such as jack up vessels and cable laying equipment, installation cost of OWFP in South Korea
is much higher than other countries. Furthermore, as stated, the complex sub-sea terrain fur-
ther rise up the installation cost due to difficulty of burying, and correspondingly, O&M cost as
well during operation stage.
Table 16 has illustrated a summary of South Korea OWF project cost key drivers and corre-
sponding impact on each of them.

Table 16 Summary of South Korea OWFP Cost Key Drivers and Corresponding Impact
Key Drivers Impact on cost

Turbine ● Local turbine manufacturer

● Average price higher than other countries
● Increase of project capital cost
Foundation ● Unfavorable sea-floor terrain
● Increase of project capital cost due to special de-
signed foundation
Inter Array Cable ● Silt layer under sea
● Increase of installation cost due to difficulty of sub-
sea burying
● Increase of O&M cost
Offshore Substation ● OWF located at nearshore
● Unnecessary for South Korea OWFP
● Decrease of BOP cost
Installation ● Lack of local installation vessels
● Unfavorable sea-floor terrain
● Increase of installation cost
4.4 Japan

4.4.1 Overview

Instead of having sufficient fossil fuels as China, Japan, given the abundant wind resources in
the geography of conditions and marine, which is also the island country, owns tremendous
offshore wind resources and the world’s 6th largest sea space.

According to the report published by Japan Wind Power Association on 2012, an estimation of
offshore wind potential would be 600 GW, and it is worth stressing that, unlike South Korea
most of its wind resources is located far away from shore and in deep water (water depth larger
than 50m) [18]. As reported by JWPA, 85% of it could apply floating foundation technology.

Until the end of 2015, the total cumulative installed capacity for offshore wind in Japan is
52.6MW, see Figure 36. Even though Japan is the second largest offshore wind country in
Asia, Japanese developers still lack experience on both construction and management of off-
shore wind projects.

Figure 36 Offshore Wind Projects in Japan [28]

Estimated by JWPA, there will be installed capacity of 1,407MW OWF operating until the end
of 2020 [4], and offshore wind will be deployed in a large scale after 2020 based on the new
national energy plan, as shown in Figure 37.

Figure 37 Wind Power Installation Plan [19]

CAPEX and OPEX for Offshore Wind Projects

For the purpose of setting procurement price of offshore wind power, METI conducted a study
refer to the comparison of CAPEX and OPEX between fixed-bottom project and floating pro-
ject. Table 17 has shown both CAPEX and OPEX per kW are higher in floating project, largely
due to the unfledged floating technology and current demonstration scale.
Table 17 METI Analysis of CAPEX and OPEX for OWP in Japan [19]
Assumption CAPEX (€/kW) OPEX(€/kW)

Fixed-bottom - Deep waters 6777.14 197.19

- More developed technology
- Larger turbines and more ex-
pensive foundations

Floating - Wind farm consist of 20-50 tur- 9602.43 265.78

bines
- Adopting data from demonstra-
tions at Fukushima and
Kabashima
Offshore Power Generation Cost
The current generation cost for offshore power (2016) in Japan is 0.21€/kWh (¥24.6/kWh). By
taking the considerations of capacity factor, discount rate, CAPEX and OPEX, JWPA has es-
timated the offshore power generation cost in 2030 to be 0.15€/kWh (16.9¥/kWh). Based on
the assumptions, by the end of 2030, 5% increase of capacity factor, together with 20% reduc-
tion on both CAPEX and OPEX, the offshore power generation cost will reduce by 28.6%. See
Table 18.

Table 18 Estimation of Power Generation Cost of Offshore Wind in 2030

2016 2030
Offshore Power Generation Cost (€/kWh) 0.21 0.15
Assumption Capacity Factor (%) 30 35
Discount Rate (%) 3 3
Cost CAPEX (€/kWh) 4900 3920 (20% reduction)
OPEX (€/kWh) 195 156 (20% reduction)
SOURCE: K2M

Figure 38 has shown the comparison of power generation cost from different resources by
2030 [20]. According to the estimation from JWPA, power generation costs for onshore and
offshore wind are 0.07-0.10€/kWh (8-12¥/kWh), 0.15€/kWh (16¥/kWh) respectively.

Figure 38 Comparison of Power Generation Cost by 2030 [20]

Nevertheless, currently, power generation cost for offshore is too high for developers to invest
on a large scale. The key drivers effecting the cost of offshore wind energy in Japan are dis-
cussed in following paragraph, including environmental factor, policy and regulation, and OWF
components & supply chain.
4.4.2 Environmental factor

Climatic and geological factor

As an island country, Japan has tremendous favorable offshore wind resources. Figure 39 has
illustrated the offshore wind speed distribution map of Japan and it is seen that east coast of
Japan shares the optimal wind resource [19].

Figure 39 Offshore Wind Resource Map, Japan

Given the location near three major tectonic plate boundaries, Japan is the area of high seis-
micity and has a long history of seismic and tsunami activity. Specific geotechnical and met-
ocean conditions vary in deep water, especially given the added threat of earthquakes and
typhoons in Japan. Due to that fact, in certain region of Japan, both turbine and foundation
installed for OWF are necessarily designed to withstand giant waves, powerful tsunamis and
frequent lighting, in order to increase turbine availability as well as project economics. Floating
wind turbine is considered as the most suitable type, nevertheless, in terms of cost, compare
to the traditional fixed bottom structure, floating technology is not competitive and needs further
R&D.

Water depth
For offshore project in Japan, water depth is also an obstacle. Fixed bottom foundation can
only be applied in flat shallow water area where water depth is fairly low. Few nearshore wind
projects have been installed or under development by adopting monopiles and jacket founda-
tions. However, wind speed in such area is relatively low, which decrease energy production
and increase generation cost correspondingly. As mentioned above, most of wind resources
are located at sea area with water depth larger than 50 meters. Wind speed gets higher with
the increased water depth and therefore leads to the only option which is semi-floating or float-
ing foundation for OWFP, bringing about much higher CAPEX and later O&M cost during op-
eration phase. For instance, the electricity generated from Fukushima wind farm which em-
ploys floating advanced spar floating foundation is so far nearly twice as much as expected
[21].

4.4.3 Policies and regulations

Negative factor
In Japan, solar power is more favored energy resource compare to wind energy. Currently
there is no specific policies and regulations for offshore wind power development in Japan for
undesignated areas.

For offshore wind farm project, consenting Process and Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) are considered as the current two barriers OWFP in development phase [19].
● Consenting Process
The consenting process of offshore wind project involves various government depart-
ments instead of one central governmental institution. Consenting delays caused by
lengthy process may pose extra cost and risk on project.
Furthermore, negotiation with local powerful fisheries association also contributes to
the lengthy consenting process. Additionally, for the purpose of satisfaction of fisher-
men’s interest, agreed compensation is inevitable, further increasing OWFP develop-
ment cost.
● EIA
As part of the consenting process, EIA is the most time-consuming step which normally
costs almost 100 million euros. For wind farm developer, to build large-scale wind
farms, environmental impact assessments takes about three to four years, probably
resulting in the delay and extra expenditure on the wind project.

Positive factor
Nevertheless, given the fact of long coast line and high cost of onshore wind, it is logically for
government to shift the focus to offshore wind by considering the tremendous offshore poten-
tial. By the end of 2015, government has published future plan of wind industry development,
mainly focusing on the reduction of offshore wind generation cost and increase of AEP by
technology improvement. Table 19 has shown the government support plan of offshore wind
in order to increase the total installed capacity and eventually reduce wind power generation
cost [20].

Table 19 Measures to Expand OWF Installation [20]

1 Medium and long term offshore wind promotion goal setting (Basic Energy Plan, etc.)
2 Establishment of master plan (Renewable energy and other related ministerial meeting, etc.)
3 Maintenance of substation and access line (Transmission line)
4 Environmental improvement to pro- Rules of general sea area utilization
mote the use of general sea area Identification of development zones for offshore
wind
Implementation of the environmental assessment,
control of stakeholders
5 Establishment and maintenance of port Development of base harbor
infrastructure Development of SEP vessels
6 Technology development support of Development of high-performance wind turbine
wind turbine which is suitable for local Development of wind turbine with larger capacity to
natural conditions reduce installation base
Technical development of foundation (shape, design
approach)
Offshore wind map development (Suitable site selec-
tion)
Development of smart maintenance technology (cut
down downtime)
7 Finance support, such as debt guarantee
8 Related regulations improvement Extension of sea area utilization for permission pe-
riod
Development of safety management standards for
maritime construction
Reduction of environmental assessment period
9 Study of future prospect of generation cost reduction

In 2012, government introduced the offshore FIT scheme to incentivize private investment and
the purchase price and period for offshore wind, published by METI [22], is 0.29EUR/kWh
(36JPY/kWh) and 20 years, see Table 20. Compare with offshore FIT of South Korea and
China, the higher purchase price in Japan improves investment confidence greatly, however,
the IRR still cannot be guaranteed for investors, and it is estimated that ¥40 /kWh will be nec-
essary to kick-start the industry in Japan, due to higher base costs and a lack of suitable infra-
structure and offshore experience in Japan.
As obligators, power companies are required to purchase electricity generated
from renewable energy sources on a fixed-period contract at a fixed price (pur-
chase price is shown on Table 20 below). Cost for purchasing is paid by electricity
users in the form of a nationwide equal surcharge. And electric power companies
pay a part of the cost (the equal amount to the generation cost that they could
 avoid to pay by purchasing renewable electricity from the producers). Purchase
price is re-examined and published in each year. [22]

Table 20 Purchase Price under FIT System for Wind Energy [22]
Purchase price (JPY/kWh)(tax excluded) Purchase
FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 period
Wind Onshore <20 55 55 55 55 55 20 Years
kW
≥20 22 22 22 22 22
kW
Offshore 36 36 36

4.4.4 Technical challenges & supply chain

Compare with the more developed European offshore wind industry, offshore technology in
Japan lags behind. Due to the lack of offshore experience, both local WTGs technology and
supply chain are still under development. Immature design, combine with challenging climatic
and geological factors, contribute to lower offshore power generation, further leading to higher
generation cost.
JWPA identified the effect on power generation cost for 2030 through improving the major
WTG components technology, see Table 21 [20].The basic assumptions applied for the esti-
mation are shown as Table 22.

Table 21 Effect on Power Generation Cost by Technology Improvement

Effect On Power Generation Cost
No. Contents
2030 (JPY/kWh)
1 50% increase of swept area -1.99
2 OWF lifetime extension (20 years to 25 years) -1.88
Improved capacity factor and equipment utilization by adopt-
3 -1.69
ing CMS
4 20% decrease of weight of nacelle -1.28
5 Improvement of maintenance efficiency -0.51
6 5% increase of WTG efficiency -0.39
7 25% increase of height of tower -0.25
 Table 22 Basic Assumption Applied For Cost Estimation
Parameters
OWF installed capacity 2MW * 10 turbine = 20 MW
CAPEX 300,000 JPY/kW
OPEX 6000 JPY/kW/year
Capacity Factor 20%
Lifetime 20 years

Turbine
Contrary to onshore wind, Japanese turbine manufacturers are dominated in offshore wind
industry, accounts for nearly 86% share of offshore turbine market [19]. See Figure 40.

Figure 40 Offshore Wind Turbine Market Share in Japan 2013 [19]

Compared with 8MW offshore turbine from Vestas, so far, the largest turbine in commercial
scale by domestic manufacturer is merely 2MW. With a relatively small rated capacity, domes-
tic turbine generates less electricity at higher relative cost. In addition, reliability of domestic
turbine is fairly low, resulting in lower project economics. As OWFPs move further from shore,
the number of turbine installed is necessary to reduce through raising the rated capacity of
turbine, decreasing both CAPEX and OPEX per unit.
On the other hand, unlike other countries, given the extreme weather condition in Japan, ty-
phoon and lightning storm pose greatest threat to offshore turbine, particularly lightning storm,
identified the most common cause of failures, accounts for 31% [19]. See Figure 41. Such
failures results in the raise on both financial cost and maintenance cost.
 Figure 41 Source of Turbine Failures in Japanese Wind Farms [28]

Foundation
Even though Japan is a leading country in floating technology and having over 20 years’ ex-
perience of R&D in it, out of 27 turbines installed by the end of 2015, only few turbines adopted
floating foundation. Given more mature and lower cost of fixed-bottom technology, fixed-bot-
tom foundation is still estimated to dominate OWFP from 2020-2025. Yet, the capital cost of
fixed-bottom costs in Japan are still slightly higher than in Europe markets [28].
● Fixed-bottom foundation
In terms of capital cost, fixed-bottom foundation is extremely lower than floating foun-
dation. However, it is only applied for Japanese nearshore projects where the wind
speed is not high, causing lower AEP, namely, higher LCOE of offshore wind.
● Floating foundation
Compare with fixed-bottom type, both capital and maintenance cost of floating founda-
tion are significantly more expensive and it hasn’t been applied in commercial scale in
Japan. Particularly, moorings of floating structures are subject to great pressure from
typhoons, and maintenance of mooring is excessively expensive, also leads to costly
delays.
Nevertheless, floating foundation is more suitable for Japanese offshore wind develop-
ment due to its specific bathymetry of Japan’s coastline. Wind speed is higher and more
stable far away from shore resulting in the increase of power generation per year. Float-
ing foundation has long-term cost competitiveness which can further greatly reduce
LCOE.
Cables and Installation
Due to the lack of cable manufacturer and low availability and capability of installation vessel
for offshore turbine and foundation installation, cable and installation costs in Japan is ex-
tremely higher than Europe market.
Besides the higher purchase price of cables, maintenance of submarine cables accounts for
the higher O&M cost of Japanese OWF in as much as the cable damage poses great potential
risk. Dynamic cables can resolve the damage issue, however, it is not cost-competitive yet.
Given the lack of supply chain, installation works for OWF are executed by limited number of
vessels from other industries, which becomes a major bottleneck. Insufficient installation ex-
perience results in project delay and extra-enormous cost before wind farm starts operating.

5 Conclusion

As mentioned where above, offshore wind is still in a fledging period; as capital intensive pro-
ject, offshore wind farm would not yield profit as soon as the wind power plant starts generating
electricity. Therefore, due to the higher risk of offshore wind, costs for each stage of project
should be well analyzed and reduced, in order to lower the financial risk.
With improved technologies of turbine, foundation and updated grid connection system, to-
gether with supportive policies and regulations made by government, the total CoE can be
reduced and offshore wind power will inevitably become one of the most competitive energy
sources in the near future.
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