The WindSCORE project has been launched to develop a 360-degree evaluation system for offshore wind projects over the next three years.
Fraunhofer IWES said the EU-backed initiative will create a scientifically based toolbox covering economic, technical, sustainability and social criteria to support investors and stakeholders.
The institute added that partners include Fondation Open-C, SINTEF, Statnett, TÜV SÜD, Bio-Littoral and Equinor, with co-funding from PTJ/BMWE, RPL France and RCN Norway under the Clean Energy Transition Partnership.
WindSCORE aims to provide a holistic assessment tool to improve tender design and support project decision-making from bidding to implementation.
The project will integrate sustainability, technical innovations such as floating wind, system and grid considerations, and O&M efficiency, alongside social impacts including regional value creation.
Fraunhofer IWES is leading work on site analysis, cost modelling and evaluation of technical concepts.
Prof Marcel Wiggert, responsible for project cooperation at Fraunhofer IWES, stated: “The development of the offshore wind industry is a central pillar of the energy transition.”
Wiggert said: “To ensure long-term social, political, and economic acceptance and minimize risks in the value chain, the WindSCORE project is developing a transparent, comprehensible 360° KPI-based evaluation system.”
Dr Gard Hopsdal Hansen, centre director for FME NorthWind at SINTEF, commented: “To make sound decisions about offshore wind development, it is essential that both industry and public authorities have access to tools capable of untangling the complexity of offshore wind and providing the most holistic picture possible of the opportunities and challenges for nature and society.”
Stéven Curet, executive director at Fondation Open-C, added: “In doing so, we will leverage our socio-economic expertise acquired through our work on the French Marine Energy Observatory to refine robust evaluation criteria and support the development of future projects across Europe.”
WindSCORE will also develop an ecological indicator through Bio-Littoral and contribute operational insights via Statnett and Equinor.
Karlheinz Russ, senior vice president infrastructure and sustainability at TÜV SÜD Energietechnik GmbH, stated: “Investing in research is essential to strengthen sustainability and develop international standards that ensure offshore wind continues to grow as a reliable and responsible source of energy.”