How offshore wind could become economically attractive in low-resource regions like Indonesia
Jannis Langer,
Sergio Simanjuntak,
Stefan Pfenninger,
Antonio Jarquin Laguna,
George Lavidas,
Henk Polinder,
Jaco Quist,
Harkunti Pertiwi Rahayu,
Kornelis Blok
Affiliations
Jannis Langer
Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Department of Engineering Systems and Services, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, the Netherlands; Corresponding author
Sergio Simanjuntak
Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Department of Engineering Systems and Services, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, the Netherlands
Stefan Pfenninger
Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Department of Engineering Systems and Services, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, the Netherlands
Antonio Jarquin Laguna
Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Department of Maritime and Transport Technology, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 17, 2628 CA Delft, the Netherlands
George Lavidas
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, the Netherlands
Henk Polinder
Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Department of Maritime and Transport Technology, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 17, 2628 CA Delft, the Netherlands
Jaco Quist
Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Department of Engineering Systems and Services, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, the Netherlands
Harkunti Pertiwi Rahayu
Institute Technology of Bandung, School of Architecture, Planning and Policy Development, Jl Ganesha no 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
Kornelis Blok
Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Department of Engineering Systems and Services, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, the Netherlands
Summary: The current focus of offshore wind industry and academia lies on regions with strong winds, neglecting areas with mild resources. Photovoltaics' cost reductions have shown that even mild resources can be harnessed economically, especially where electricity prices are high. Here, we study the technical and economic potential of offshore wind power in Indonesia as an example of mild-resource areas, using bias-corrected ERA5 data, turbine-specific power curves, and a detailed cost model. We show that low-wind-speed turbines could produce up to 6,816 TWh/year, which is 25 times Indonesia’s electricity generation in 2018 and 3 times the projected 2050 generation, and up to 166 PWh/year globally. Although not yet competitive against current offshore turbines, low-wind turbines could become a crucial piece of the global climate mitigation effort in regions with vast marine areas and high electricity prices. As low-wind-speed turbines are not yet on the market, we recommend prioritizing their development.