Rationale for selecting the most suitable areas for offshore wind energy farms in isolated island systems. Case study: Canary Islands

Abstract

In recent years, offshore wind energy has attracted considerable attention as a renewable resource due to its lower visual impact, fewer territorial constraints and higher wind availability compared to the onshore alternative. Moreover, in small isolated systems with many protected natural areas and significant competition for land uses, offshore wind energy can make a notable contribution to the energy transition while avoiding the need to exploit additional land. This is the case of the Canary Islands, where areas for onshore wind development are becoming scarce. For this reason, a novel methodology has been developed based on a multi-criteria decision technique, designed for isolated islands. The proposed methodology considers the levelized cost of energy (LCoE), visual impacts and proximity to tourist centers, among other factors, to select the most suitable areas for the installation of offshore wind farms, considering both bottom-fixed and floating technologies. Results show that, in isolated island systems, offshore wind energy is very competitive with conventional generation systems and is an optimal solution to the problems of land scarcity and the social impact of onshore renewables. The practical significance is that the most suitable areas for offshore wind energy with lowest generation costs are Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura.