Abstract
This Energy Insights report examines the emerging offshore wind energy sector,
particularly in Europe. It first provides an overview of the industry' s steady
development and then explores some of the promising technical advances that are
improving the technology' s performance, before evaluating the current status of
project economics. Next, it investigates the main variables coloring offshore
wind' s outlook and identifies government- and industry-led activities that are
aiming to mitigate some of the sector' s most pressing hurdles. It ends with a
prognosis for offshore wind' s near- to medium-term outlook.
"Though significant cost, grid access, spatial planning, and investment risk
barriers remain, European offshore wind energy is primed for significant
near-term capacity growth. Development is likely to spread to the United States
and the Pacific Rim post-2012," said Nadav Enbar, senior research analyst,
Energy Insights.