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Jubail Industrial City is one of the largest industrial centers in the Middle East, offering potential opportunities for renewable energy generation. This research paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the wind resources in Jubail Industrial City and proposes the design of a smart grid-connected wind farm for this strategic location.

The study used wind data collected at three different heights above ground level – 10, 50 and 90 m – over four years from 2017 to 2020. Key parameters, such as average wind speeds (WS), predominant wind direction, Weibull shape, scale parameters and wind power density (WPD), were analyzed. The study used Windographer, an exclusive software program designed to evaluate wind resources.

The average WS at the respective heights were 3.07, 4.29 and 4.58 m/s. The predominant wind direction was from the north-west. The Weibull shape parameter (k) at the three heights was 1.77, 2.15 and 2.01, while the scale parameter (c) was 3.36, 4.88 and 5.33 m/s. The WPD values at different heights were 17.9, 48.8 and 59.3 W/m², respectively.

The findings suggest that Jubail Industrial City possesses favorable wind resources for wind energy generation. The proposed smart grid-connected wind farm design demonstrates the feasibility of harnessing wind power in the region, contributing to sustainable energy production and economic benefits.

The purpose of this study is to identify Offshore Wind Energy (OWE) as a key technology that could drive countries toward achieving climate goals. However, there are multiple challenges that this sector faces.

This study aims to identify the challenges faced by the sector globally by systematically reviewing the existing literature in global context and portraying it in the Indian context. Factors are identified using content analysis.

Results suggest high levelized cost of energy as the most discussed challenge for the growth of OWE. Insufficient financial support and policy, initial capital and inadequate technology formed the second, third and fourth most discussed challenges respectively.

To reduce the cost of OWE, the distribution companies in India could adopt feed-in tariffs (FiTs) in the early stages of development and make OWE procurement mandatory. The renewable purchase obligation (RPO) in India is specific to solar and non-solar; policy should accommodate offshore wind-specific RPO targets for each state to reach the 2030 target of 30 GW from OWE.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to study the challenges of OWE development from a global perspective and portray these major challenges in the Indian context and uses content analysis from the existing literature to ascertain the major roadblocks for the development of OWE.

The study identifies the unexplored gap in literature that includes futuristic challenges for OWE from climate change. Future studies can explore the possibilities of forecasting based on climate change scenarios and rank the challenges based on their relevance caused by possible damages.

The paper aims to analyze the structural integrity of an existing offshore platform located in the Northern Adriatic Sea, followed by the topside decommissioning and the re-utilization of the jacket as a wind turbine support. The structural integrity assessment against the in-place and the long-term actions is accomplished by using a reduced basis finite element method (RB-FEA) software program assessing the capability of the jacket to be used as a support for wind turbines at the end of its life cycle as oil and gas (O&G) platform.

The project starts by modeling the jacket, and subsequently, the structural analyses for the in-place loads in operative and extreme conditions are performed. Then, the fatigue analysis is carried out in order to define the cumulative damage necessary to evaluate the possibility to use the jacket as a wind turbine support.

The results show that the jacket, at the end of the service life as O&G platform, is able to withstand the loads produced by the installation of the wind turbine since the analyses are satisfied even with the conservative approach used which overestimates the thickness loss assuming a linear increasing value during the service life.

Because of the chosen approach, the study presents some limitations, especially concerning the real state of the platform which has been defined considering the thickness loss only. Additionally, a 1D model was used to perform the analyses, and hence, a 3D model could help in evaluating the critical points with higher precision.

The assessment of the structure could be improved by modeling a digital twin of the asset allowing a real-time monitoring which, however, involves a huge amount of data to be processed, so a suitable simulation technology must be used.

The RB-FEA proposed by Akselos is suitable to perform the analyses speeding up the processing of the data even in real time.

The social acceptance of wind energy is increasingly conditioning the Italian Government and regions to authorize the construction of these plants. The proposal of offshore wind farm in the south-west of Sardinia has raised many perplexities both from the marine environmental point of view and from concern about increasing the electricity production in a region that already exports electricity to the peninsula. The purpose of this study is to evaluate what are the factors that most affect the coastal residents’ acceptability of an offshore wind farm.

The data is based on a Sardinia-wide in-person survey with about 512 participants in the period between May and June 2023. Respondents were selected randomly from five different locations in Carloforte region. Multiple regression analysis investigates the factors that influenced acceptability to construction and development of offshore wind power plant. Four independent variables were selected in the regression models such as (i) interest towards wind energy, (ii) attitude towards renewable energy production, (iii) perceived regional energy policy and (iv) attitude towards offshore wind farm. The dependent variables are the rates of coastal local residents’ acceptance of offshore wind farm for respondents in five coastal towns.

Fishermen and summer tourism operators’ respondents expressed significant reluctance to accept the new project because they perceive a strong risk of environmental impact on both tuna fishing and marine recreational activities in the vicinity. The distance between the turbines at sea and local residents along the coast and surrounding small islands does not have an influence to accept wind energy. The energy policy of the Region of Sardinia, which is perceived by respondents as an expansive energy policy in the production of electricity that exceeds their needs, not being accompanied by a scenario of reducing that from fossil fuels, is the variable that led about 70% of respondents to express a negative opinion towards this project.

A potential problem associated with the survey is that local response produced sample selection bias. The proportion of respondents with secondary education and no school certificate is quite high. It is possible that respondents who provided valid questionnaires were more low-educated and therefore, the sample may be biased towards lower-educated people. While this does not invalidate the results of this study, it is important to note that the sample was on average less educated than the overall population in Italy. In addition, people with lower incomes were more likely to complete the questionnaires; the results are more representative of a portion of the population with incomes below the national average.

Results showed how coastal communities are in favour of wind energy within their island, but not within a marine protected area that is considered unique for its beauty and marine ecosystem. Wind energy developers should, before submitting a proposal for an offshore wind farm project, consider among other things the long approval time and understand the activities carried out by local communities and their attachment to those places. Politicians and developers should develop a coherent energy transition policy based on a long-term vision of zero emissions, because according to the findings of this study, it was the regional energy policy that is the most controversial reason for residents to reject the project.

The contribution of this study is to fill a part of the research gap linking to ongoing energy transitions. In particular, this study analysed for the first time in Italy the acceptability level of an offshore renewable energy project considering the environmental implications and risks in the fragile marine ecosystem of Carloforte waters. This study also made it possible to analyse the impact of the regional energy policy on the acceptability of residents towards the development of offshore wind farms, which is scarcely discussed in the literature.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a policy, the 2014 UK Supply Chain Plan, which aimed to create a local supply chain in a sector (offshore wind) where the central manufacturing node capabilities and knowledge are not possessed locally. It aims to address the following question: can policy create a new manufacturing supply chain from a void?

A qualitative field research approach is used to derive an original set of theoretical propositions explaining the motivation behind the Supply Chain Plan policy. The outcomes of this policy are examined 10 years later in order to provide an opportunity to observe the impact of the policy.

The conclusion is that the policy has been successful in increasing local content, and some of that local content has benefited local manufacturers. However, a lot of the increase in local content has been achieved in non-manufacturing areas or in new areas. The main issue, i.e. the lack of a central manufacturing capability, remains unaddressed. The impact of the local content policy on cost is undocumented.

There is an increasing amount of interest in regional/local supply chains after the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing geopolitical tensions. This paper's originality is to document with an industry case study the fact that manufacturing knowledge and capabilities are the central growth engine of supply chains and that creating a new manufacturing supply chain competing with well-established clusters is not a simple matter that can be achieved through a local content policy. Such policies raise critical questions about the policy makers' implicit valuation of manufacturing technology.

The purpose of this paper is to optimize the maintenance strategies for wind turbine (WT) gearboxes to minimize costs associated with PM actions, cooling, production loss and gearbox replacement. Two approaches, periodic imperfect maintenance and a novel design incorporating alternating gearboxes are compared to identify the most cost-effective solution.

This study employs mathematical modeling to analyze the design, operation and maintenance of WT gearboxes. Two maintenance strategies are investigated, involving periodic imperfect maintenance actions and the incorporation of two similar gearboxes operating alternately. The models determine optimal preventive maintenance (PM) and switching periods to minimize total expected costs over the operating time span.

The research findings reveal, for the considered case of a moroccan wind farm, that the use of two similar gearboxes operating alternately is more cost-effective than relying on a single gearbox. The mathematical models developed enable the determination and comparison of optimal strategies for various WT gearbox scenarios and associated maintenance costs.

Limitations may arise from simplifications in the mathematical models and assumptions about degradation, temperature monitoring and maintenance effectiveness. Future research could refine the models and incorporate additional factors for a more comprehensive analysis.

Practically, the study provides insights into optimizing WT gearbox maintenance strategies, considering the trade-offs between PM actions, cooling, production loss and gearbox replacement costs. The findings can inform decisions on maintenance planning and design modifications to enhance cost efficiency.

While the primary focus is on cost optimization, the study indirectly contributes to the broader societal goal of sustainable energy production. Efficient maintenance strategies for WTs help ensure reliable and cost-effective renewable energy, potentially benefiting communities relying on wind power.

This paper introduces two distinct strategies for WT gearbox maintenance, extending beyond traditional periodic maintenance. The incorporation of alternating gearboxes presents a novel design approach. The developed mathematical models offer a valuable tool for determining and comparing optimal strategies tailored to specific WT scenarios and associated maintenance costs.

This paper reviews and analyses renewable energy options, namely underground thermal, solar, wind and marine wave energy, in seaport cargo terminal operations.

Four renewable energy options that are deployed or tested in different ports around the world are qualitatively examined for their overall implementation potential and characteristics, and their cost and benefits. An application to the port of Singapore is discussed.

Geophysical conditions are key criteria in assessing renewable energy options. In the case of Singapore, solar power is the only suitable renewable energy option.

Being a capital-intensive establishment with high intensities of cargo operations, seaports usually involve a high level of energy consumption. The study of renewable energy options contributes to seaport sustainability.

A key recommendation is to implement a smart energy management system that enables the mixed use of renewable energy to match energy demand and supply optimally and achieve higher energy efficiency.

The use of renewable energy as an eco-friendlier energy source is underway in various ports. However, there is almost no literature that analyses and compares various renewable energy options potentially suitable for cargo terminal operations in ports. This paper narrows the knowledge gaps.

As the global push for renewable energy intensifies, it becomes imperative to critically assess the socio-territorial repercussions of some of these initiatives in local communities and their environments. The emergence of certain “eco-blind projects” serves as a reminder of situations where innovative modern solutions, although environmentally friendly, fail to acknowledge and safeguard territorial identity and the surrounding landscape. Within this comprehensive framework, the chapter emphasizes the pressing need to strike a delicate equilibrium between the pursuit of energy transition goals and the preservation of local traditions, and ecosystems. By considering the socio-territorial ramifications and fostering community engagement, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders can collectively chart a path that leads toward a more sustainable and inclusive renewable energy landscape. This approach encapsulates not only the imperative of curbing climate change and alleviating energy poverty but also the crucial task of upholding the identity of local communities and safeguarding the irreplaceable natural and cultural resources that form the bedrock of their territory.

Wind power is the most promising renewable energy source in China. The development of digital technologies has brought about unprecedented growth opportunities and prospects for wind power. However, the relationship between digital technology adoption and total factor productivity (TFP) in the wind power industry in China has not been empirically assessed. This study aims to clarify whether and how digital technology adoption affects the TFP of the wind power industry in China.

Based on the data of listed companies in the Chinese wind power industry from 2006 to 2021, this study proposes and verifies relevant hypotheses with two-way fixed effects regression models.

The empirical results indicate that digital technology adoption is the cornerstone of the TFP of China’s wind power industry. Reconfiguration capability and technological innovation serially mediate the above relationship. In addition, the incentive effect of digital technology adoption varies among wind power firms. The impact of digital technology adoption is more significant in firms that are old and located in economically undeveloped regions.

This study is one of the earliest attempts to investigate the relationship between digital technology adoption and TFP in the renewable energy sectors of emerging economies. By integrating dynamic capability theory and the analytical framework of “Capability-Behavior-Performance” into the digital context, this study offers the theoretical insights into how digital technology adoption can enhance organizational reconfiguration capability, thereby stimulating technological innovation and subsequent TFP. Additionally, the impacts of different digital technologies are estimated in entirety, rather than in isolation.