Simulation And Optimization Of Operations For Offshore Installations Planning Using A Model Predictive Control Scheme

Wind energy is a promising technology to cover the world's need for sustainable energy production. Nevertheless, the construction of offshore wind farms imposes particular challenges. While about 15% to 20% of the costs for offshore wind farms can be attributed to logistics during the construction, highly dynamic weather conditions render accurate planning difficult. This article presents an approach for the installation planning, which uses the model predictive control scheme to combine short-term control with model-based simulations. The latter is used to optimize over mid- to long-term plans. Besides, the article presents a new approach to incorporate the uncertainties of weather predictions into the operations planning by estimating the expected duration of offshore operations. Results show increased efficiency of generated plans with growing planning horizons, limited by the accuracy of weather forecasts.