Design Strategies of Offshore Wind Turbines in Shallow and Deep Water-Indian Perspective

Offshore wind turbines (OWT) are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to generate clean and green energy. India has enormous potential for developing offshore wind farms. The offshores of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have been identified as potential sites, with a wind energy potential of 70 GW at 100–120 m hub height (NIWE). India has launched the project ‘Facilitating Offshore Wind in India’ (FOWIND). Eight zones have been identified, with a primary focus on monopile and jacket as supporting structures. The country has resurrected its goals by developing a strategic plan to achieve an initial target of 37 GW by 2030. The selection of a suitable foundation for these structures is critical, as the foundation costs approximately 16–34% of the total costs, depending on the location and size of the wind farm. Monopiles are widely used foundations for OWT structures for shallow water depth because of the quick installation process and cost-effectiveness. Because of the massive increase in energy demand, offshore wind turbines are built in intermediate water depths of 30–60 m; a jacket foundation is preferred over a monopile in these situations. FOWIND’s primary goal is to investigate monopile, tripod, and jacket foundations at water depths of up to 43 m. However, these shallow-water sites would be insufficient to meet India’s growing energy demand and completely shift to renewable sources. Hence, proposing floating offshore wind turbines along the west coast helps to remove the constraint of sea depth and can nurture the immense wind energy potential present in deep waters. This paper examines the key considerations for the design of monopile, jacket, and floating systems for offshore wind turbines, with a focus on seismic and climate change effects from an Indian standpoint.