The Dutch government enterprise agency, RVO, has designated the IJmuiden Ver Wind Zone (IJVWFZ) as an area for offshore wind development. The Project site is located 62 km from the west mainland coast of the Netherlands. A consortium led by DHI, including OWC, ArcVera Renewables, ProPlanEn, and others, conducted an in-depth study to assess the metocean conditions and wind resources at the IJVWFZ.
This initiative by the Dutch government aimed to provide project stakeholders with valuable information to inform the future development of offshore wind in the zone.
ArcVera developed a bespoke mesoscale dataset utilising its Weather Research and Forecasting model called “Unified-WRF”. The model was driven by initial and boundary conditions derived from the ERA5 reanalysis, enabling the assessment of wind energy potential across the entire development zone. ArcVera’s Unified-WRF model was compared against other mesoscale models to ascertain its performance quality for wind resource assessment purposes.
The development of a Unified-WRF dataset was needed to streamline and harmonize wind resource assessment (an estimate of the fuel for the project) and metocean analysis (an estimate of the weather and ocean conditions that will affect the safe and efficient design and operation of the project). Historically, these two processes have been conducted separately, using distinct methodologies.
According to the report published by RVO the Unified-WRF model represents a significant advancement in meteorological and oceanographic modelling, tailored to simulate the intricate spatial patterns of wind climate in the Dutch North Sea. […]. This model serves as the fundamental tool for conducting metocean assessments for design purposes and resource assessments in the region.
