Abstract
This research aims to assess the potential of offshore wind energy in a promising area in Sri
Lanka and propose an optimised wind farm configuration to support the national electricity
needs. Currently, the grid has an installed capacity of over 4000 megawatts (4GW), which
contains a considerable amount of thermal energy and a substantial capacity of hydropower
together with wind and solar as non-conventional renewable energy (NCRE). The current
installed capacity is sufficient to cater to today's demand for electricity. However, the country
needs to decarbonise the energy sector well before 2050. This research has performed
complete offshore wind speed data analysis, a step towards utilising the available offshore
wind energy potential amounting to approximately 92GW. Therefore, the researcher is
considering multiple options and methodologies to evaluate the potential offshore wind energy
available in Sri Lankan waters to the maximum capacity while overcoming natural weaknesses
of wind energy and addressing other factors, including environmental impact and grid
connectivity. This research is based on authentic wind speed data obtained ethically from the
Sustainable Energy Authority of Sri Lanka. The offshore wind data has been recorded in 10-
minute intervals over one year (January-December 2016) from seven wind masts situated in
seven shoreline areas around the island; there are over 100,000 pieces of data. Having
critically analysed the data of all seven stations and compared it with the outcome of the critical
literature review, the final research has been narrowed down to the offshore area of Mannar,
which is around 200-250km north of Colombo, for key reasons, including the logistics. This
data has been used to develop Weibull distribution parameters, which can represent the wind
data mathematically for further analysis, thereby producing the related charts to ascertain the
probability density of the given period and identify the most suitable location for a 100MW pilot
project. Therefore, the best-matching wind turbines are selected from commercially available
options based on the wind speed data of the specific location. Energy potential was calculated
using the estimated Weibull distribution parameters. Further, qualitative analysis complements
the extensive quantitative wind speed data analysis by integrating qualitative insights to enrich
the findings. Two interviews were conducted to capture the perspectives and policies of
government officials on renewable energy, particularly focusing on offshore wind energy and
the net-zero plan. The research emphasises the principle of energy storage as a critical need
for Sri Lankan power distribution. This is to support future sustainable wind energy utilisation
in developing countries. The pilot project is to demonstrate the capability of initiating a
promising offshore wind farm so that the government of Sri Lanka can gain sufficient
confidence to implement much-needed offshore wind energy projects.
The research outcomes contribute to the offshore wind energy field, national energy targets
for Sri Lanka, and international efforts to mitigate climate change impact and achieve carbon
neutrality.