Energy storage systems for services provision in offshore wind farms

Abstract

Offshore wind energy is growing continuously and already represents 12.7% of the total wind energy installed in Europe. However, due to the variable and intermittent characteristics of this source and the corresponding power production, transmission system operators are requiring new short-term services for the wind farms to improve the power system operation and security of supply. For this purpose, the incorporation of energy storage systems to provide those services with no or minimum disturbance to the wind farm is a promising alternative. Taking into account the rapid progress of the energy storage sector, this review assesses the technical feasibility of a variety of storage technologies for the provision of several services at distinct locations of a point-to-point high-voltage direct-current connected offshore wind farm. In pursuit of this goal, a novel multidimensional systematic assessment is presented. The results provide a comprehensive representation of the present state of the art and indicate potential research avenues for the enhancement of the technical viability of the technology.