Unlocking nearshore wind energy potential: regional assessment of nearshore resource hotspots along the Korean peninsula

초록

Nearshore wind energy resources along the Korean Peninsula are assessed with an emphasis on identifying and characterizing nearshore hotspots using regional wind reanalysis with a spatial resolution of 10 km spanning 38 year (1979-2020). Key resource attributes, including wind energy density, constrained wind energy density at various rated wind speeds, and their temporal variabilities are analyzed to pinpoint potential nearshore hotspots. The results reveal pronounced spatial and temporal variations in available wind resources, which are significantly influenced by the rated wind speeds applied in the estimates. Notably, nearshore regions along the southern coasts exhibit superior constrained resources compared with offshore regions at low-rated wind speeds, with lower temporal variability, while the offshore regions generally offer higher unconstrained resources. These nearshore regions, previously considered to have relatively low energy potential, are now identified as having the largest constrained wind resources along the peninsula, especially at low-rated wind speeds. These findings underscore the importance of higher resolution data for nearshore wind resource assessments, particularly in complex coastal environments like the ria coasts of the Korean Peninsula. By presenting the available wind resources across different rated wind speeds, the study provides additional insights for project planning and turbine design, enabling optimization for installations with varying capacity requirements.

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