WEBINAR: Knowledge Exchange Between Offshore Wind Resource and Metocean Professionals

IMarEST TV recording by the IMarEST Offshore Renewables SIG on the 5th May 2021. This webinar was presented by Dr Gus Jeans, metocean consultant.

This webinar explores the convergence of two distinct professional disciplines, both concerned with the quantification of offshore wind.

The wind energy industry originated onshore, where reliable long term measured wind data were often available, while complex terrain introduced considerable variability in local winds. A key consideration was the quantification of annual or longer term mean wind at a development site, for assessment of available wind energy resource.

Over parallel decades, the MetOcean profession evolved to support offshore operations and engineering design, with a major focus on oil and gas. In contrast to onshore winds, long term measurement was generally not available at remote offshore locations, while horizontal and vertical variability were usually much more straightforward. Offshore winds were often more important as an input to wave generation than a direct engineering impact, with much more effort dedicated to estimation of extremes than normals.

Such fundamental differences, coupled with independent evolution of wind resource and MetOcean disciplines, have resulted in some potential discrepancies that persist today. A key example is the interpretation of a conservative estimate, required at an early stage of a project, when uncertainty is greatest. Low wind speeds are conservative for resource assessment, while high wind speeds are conservative for engineering design.

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About the Speaker

Dr Gus Jeans is a metocean consultant with over 27 years of continuous professional experience, including 9 years with his own company Oceanalysis Ltd. He has been co-chair of the IMarEST Operational Oceanography Special Interest Group (OOSIG) since it was created in 2012 and a member of the Offshore Renewables Special Interest Group (ORSIG) committee since 2013.

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