MiRadOr: Microwave radiometer for the detection and assessment of offshore wind resources

At a glance

• Precise understanding of the offshore atmospheric conditions is not only advantageous for the designation of areas suitable for wind farms but also permits improved planning and optimized operation of wind farms.
• Microwave radiometer (MWR) technology is suitable for offshore use in principle, but there are still knowledge gaps to be closed.
• In the MiRadOr project, the project partners are therefore utilizing both historical and newly collected data as the basis for the development of a roadmap to establish the requisite conditions for the commercial deployment of MWR technology in the offshore wind farm sector in the medium term.
• In a subproject, Fraunhofer IWES is responsible for the compilation of a system integration study for the use of MWR on buoys and defining methodology guidelines, among other things.

The challenge

Offshore wind energy is to become a central pillar of the energy system of the future. Germany and the EU have therefore adopted correspondingly ambitious expansion goals. The German government alone aims to install 70 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2045.

A detailed understanding of offshore wind energy potential is key to achieving these expansion goals and to planning and operating the correspondingly large wind turbines cost-efficiently. A scoping study (RAP) coordinated by the Carbon Trust revealed that MWR technology could play a key role, as it enables more accurate measurement of the atmospheric conditions. However, the RAP scoping study also showed that further research into the use of MWR technology in the offshore wind energy sector is also required to solve technical challenges and close knowledge gaps. 

The solution

This is where the MiRadOr research project comes in. It aims to render the use of MWR systems in wind farm planning areas and offshore wind farms. On the basis of the RAP study results, the project partners are developing a roadmap to support the commercial adoption of the technology in the offshore sector. The aim is to lay the groundwork for the deployment of MWR technology at offshore wind farms in the medium term.

In the “Combination of lidar and MWR data for use in the offshore wind industry” subproject, Fraunhofer IWES is responsible for the compilation of a system integration study for the use of MWR on buoys and defining methodology guidelines. In addition, Fraunhofer IWES is compiling a risk assessment for the use of MWR technology in the wind industry.

The added value

Thanks to more accurate measurement of the atmospheric conditions – in particular the simultaneous measurements of vertical wind and temperature profiles in combination with lidar technology – MWR technology adapted to and validated for the offshore wind energy sector provides wind farm developers and operators with a considerably more reliable data basis. This allows not only optimized planning and operational management but also improved preliminary investigation of wind farm sites and the development of realistic expansion scenarios. In addition, MWR technology has potentially immense value for improving weather forecasts.