MS#01.2 Over Two Decades of Accurate Offshore Metocean Data from the FINO Platforms: Supporting the Wind Energy Transition
B. CAÑADILLAS¹, K. HERKLOTZ ², M. MORITZ ², A. LAMPERT ¹
¹ Technische Universität Braunschweig (TUBS)|² Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany, BSH
Wind resource, metocean and extreme conditions
This WESC Mini-Symposium will highlight the critical role of the FINO (Forschungsplattformen in Nord- und Ostsee) platforms in advancing offshore wind energy research and development. Located in the North and Baltic Seas, the FINO platforms have been collecting essential metocean (meteorological and oceanographic) data for over two decades. This data has been foundational in understanding environmental conditions before, during, and after the construction of offshore wind farms (OWFs).
Since their inception— in 2003, FINO2 in 2007, and FINO3 in 2009—the FINO platforms have provided data that have been indispensable to researchers and industry. These datasets have supported metocean studies critical for the design, construction, and operation of offshore wind farms (OWFs), wind resource assessments, and the validation of wake models used for turbine siting, among other applications. They are also essential for validating hindcast and hydrodynamic models, which are used to estimate extreme conditions and perform environmental impact assessments.
This symposium will highlight the significant contributions of the FINO platforms to metocean research and provide insights into the future of measurement technologies, including drone-based systems. It will begin with an introduction to the FINO project by the project coordinator (BSH), covering a description of the platforms, technical details, latest measurement techniques, and a demonstration of the meteorological and sea state data portals where users can download data.
The symposium will serve as a platform to present metocean studies and explore the implications of wind farm effects, focusing on both in-situ and remote measurement technologies such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems.
Metocean Section: Integrating Meteorological and Oceanographic Research
The FINO platforms have collected critical metocean data since their establishment, providing valuable information essential for offshore wind energy development.
Key topics to be covered include:
- Wind Profiles and Model Validation: Long-term wind profile data and its role in validating atmospheric models for wind turbine siting and performance optimization.
- Oceanographic Data: How data on waves, currents, water levels, temperature and salinity support the design, structural integrity and maintenance of offshore wind farms.
- Environmental Impact Assessments: Insights into how long-term data from the FINO platforms help evaluate environmental interaction between offshore infrastructure and atmosphere/ocean before and after wind farm installation.
- Multi-Use in Offshore Windparks: Results from field experiments for potential multi-use of offshore windfarms, e.g., aquaculture.
- Underwater sound monitoring: Underwater acoustic measurements aim to collect, analyze, and utilize long-term data on continuous sound sources (natural and anthropogenic) near the FINO platforms.
Closing Discussion
The symposium will conclude with an interactive discussion focused on the future of offshore measurement technologies and the continued role of the offshore platforms but in supporting offshore metocean research. At this symposium, we welcome insights and studies based on experiences not only from the FINO platforms but also from other offshore platforms.