sowento, an engineering consultancy in wind energy solutions, is proud to announce its partnership in the pioneering SUDOCO project, aimed at transforming the landscape of wind energy in Europe. This groundbreaking venture, in collaboration with esteemed partners and coordinated by TU Delft professor Jan-Willem van Wingerden, is set to revolutionize the wind power industry with a focus on maximizing the potential of wind farms.
The approach
In the past, the approach to wind energy was short-sighted, focusing solely on individual turbines’ energy output. However, the need for a climate-neutral and energy-independent Europe demands a shift towards sustainable wind energy solutions, accounting for all costs, including societal and environmental aspects. The heart of this innovative approach lies in the wind farm control room of the future, where advanced technologies will be harnessed to optimize the energy yield of entire wind farms, including those featuring floating wind turbines.
“Floating wind turbines represent a part of the future of offshore wind energy, offering unparalleled potential in harnessing renewable power from wind resources,” Steffen Raach (Managing Director of sowento) states. Under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Ir. J.W. van Wingerden and his team at TU Delft, our company is participating at the forefront of wind farm flow control R&D transferring the concepts to floating wind farms.
The project
SUDOCO is an acronym of SUstainable resilient Data-enabled Offshore wind farm and COntrol co-design and is a collaboration project between TU Delft, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Technische Universität München, Politecnico di Milano, Shell, sowento and Youwind Renewables, with an advisory board consisting of Siemens-Gamesa, NREL, Applied Risk, Windesco and Crosswind. The project is funded by the European Union.
In the past, the approach to wind energy was short-sighted, focusing solely on individual turbines’ energy output. However, the need for a climate-neutral and energy-independent Europe demands a shift towards sustainable wind energy solutions, accounting for all costs, including societal and environmental aspects. The heart of this innovative approach lies in the wind farm control room of the future, where advanced technologies will be harnessed to optimize the energy yield of entire wind farms, including those featuring floating wind turbines.
“Floating wind turbines represent a part of the future of offshore wind energy, offering unparalleled potential in harnessing renewable power from wind resources,” Steffen Raach (Managing Director of sowento) states. Under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Ir. J.W. van Wingerden and his team at TU Delft, our company is participating at the forefront of wind farm flow control R&D transferring the concepts to floating wind farms.
The project is developing dynamic measurement and control algorithms through meticulous data collection from wind farms and large-scale wind tunnels, combined with cutting-edge machine learning techniques. These algorithms empower operators to control entire wind farms on a timescale of seconds, surpassing current limitations, and ensuring maximum efficiency and sustainability.
The vision what sets the SUDOCO project apart is the commitment to looking beyond quick gains. In addition to optimizing energy output, the project is taking a comprehensive approach, considering the long-term environmental and societal impacts in our decision-making process. This holistic perspective enables operators to address real-time challenges, such as price fluctuations, security of supply, extending the lifespan of wind turbines, responsible resource utilization, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and implementation of local energy storage solutions like hydrogen and batteries.
The ultimate outcome of the SUDOCO project will be an innovative open-source software package – the wind farm control room of the future. This software will serve as a guiding light for wind farm operators, advising them on optimal strategies for energy production and environmental impact reduction. For instance, during low wind speeds and higher electricity prices, the focus will be on maximizing energy output, thereby reducing overall carbon emissions. Conversely, during high wind speeds and lower electricity prices, adjustments will be made to minimize wear on turbines or store excess energy for future use, mitigating environmental impact.
Moreover, the knowledge gained from this project will pave the way for designing future wind farms more efficiently. “We contribute to the project by introducing floating wind farm aspects and transferring the learnings to offshore locations where floating wind turbines are prevalent”, Steffen adds, “understanding the intricacies of wind flow control will enable us to position turbines closer together, enhancing energy capture and stability, and furthering the development of offshore wind energy”.
The SUDOCO project officially kicks off on 16 and 17 October with a physical meeting in Delft, marking the beginning of an exciting chapter in the evolution of wind energy. sowento looks forward to contributing to the success of this project and advancing the cause of clean, renewable energy for a greener, more sustainable future.
Press desk
Contact information
Steffen Raach – contact@sowento.com
