Offshore wind conditions

Measuring wind at the North Sea

TNO carries out long-term measurements of wind conditions at the North Sea. The data help developers design their offshore wind farms in the most efficient way and reduce uncertainties in the calculations for their business case.

New knowledge is constantly needed regarding wind conditions at future development locations, and the impact they have on wind farms and the individual wind turbines.

TNO currently conducts measurements at four offshore platforms: Lichteiland Goeree (LEG), Europlatform (EPL) and production platforms K13-A and L2-FA-1. A fifth measurement location will be established at the F2-A-Hanze platform before the start of 2026.

The measurements are carried out using vertical profiling LiDAR measurement systems which provide measurements between ca. 60–300 m above sea level.

DOWA: Dutch Offshore Wind Atlas

TNO, KNMI and Whiffle have jointly compiled a wind atlas called Dutch Offshore Wind Atlas (DOWA). It contains detailed information about the wind all across the North Sea, at an unprecedented level.

DOWA provides wind speed and wind direction up to an altitude of 600 m, at a spatial resolution of 2.5 km2 and on an hourly basis. DOWA wind information is available from 2008 until 2018. Together with the LiDAR measurements it provides a solid basis for developing offshore wind farms.

TNO has specific expertise on the wind conditions and how they affect wind turbines and wind farms, and the KNMI contributes its own specialist knowledge using weather models. Whiffle has developed software which is able to calculate local wind information to an extremely high resolution.

Based on improved models and methodology, the new atlas provides more accurate wind information at a higher resolution and at altitudes of up to 600 m.

TNO has validated the atlas using accurate wind measurements from offshore meteorological masts, LiDARs on platforms, floating LiDARs, and from satellites and aircraft. This will enable a better understanding of the wind conditions that affect offshore wind energy, especially at higher altitudes.