On the Multi-objective Optimization of Wind Farm Cable Layouts with Regard to Cost and Robustness

Offshore wind farms (OWFs) have emerged as a vital component in the transition to renewable energy, especially for countries like the United Kingdom with abundant shallow coastal waters suitable for wind energy exploitation. As net-zero emissions targets propel investments in renewables, OWFs present unique engineering challenges, particularly in the design of cost-effective and efficient infrastructural networks such as layout and electrical system optimization. Diverging from the previous approaches in electrical system optimization for OWFs, this paper introduces network robustness as a pivotal metric in design evaluations, differing from traditional reliability evaluation focused studies. By designing approximate solutions to the capacitated minimum spanning tree (CMST) using an approach grounded in a radial space partitioning strategy, the application of the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), and a bespoke domain-specific mutation operator, we present a multi-objective exploration of the cost-robustness trade-off. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach and its ability to offer decision makers valuable insight on cable layout designs, we apply it to a real-world case study that considers the Anholt OWF. The obtained results indicate the ability of our approach to discover sets of high-quality solutions, underscoring its potential to enhance the strategic development of robust and economically viable OWF networks.