Smart grid technologies for connection of offshore windfarms

Offshore windfarms are a rapidly growing market in the UK. It is expected that over 32 GW of offshore windfarms will be built by 2030. The new generation of larger and more efficient wind turbines has allowed planning for larger offshore windfarms located farther from the shore. The connection options for offshore windfarms are still open and under debate, so a more efficient and reliable power network could potentially be developed for future windfarms. This paper introduces the technical problems that must be overcome to permit the connection of offshore networks. The use of smart grid technologies currently available and emerging within the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) sector to mitigate the particular issues of offshore windfarms is explored.