Posters

Abstract

The rapid expansion of offshore wind energy in Europe requires ports to evolve beyond their traditional role in transport and installation (T&I) phase of projects. Long-term operations and maintenance (O&M) as well as the eventual decommissioning of wind turbine generators (WTGs) will place increasing and diverse demands on port infrastructure. Current planning efforts largely emphasize construction logistics, limited attention has been given to the infrastructure, storage capacity, and labor requirements associated with decommissioning. This creates a critical gap in preparing ports for the full offshore wind lifecycle.  This research addresses that gap by analyzing the requirements of ports and infrastructure needs of ports across these three project phases. This was done by combining as-built data, stakeholder data and decommissioning experience into scenarios for decommissioning wind projects. Central to this investigation is the timing of decommissioning activities, which directly influences throughput volumes, vessel traffic, quay space, recycling flows, and workforce demand. By integrating these factors, we propose a framework that allows ports to anticipate and strategically adapt their infrastructure development to offshore wind sector trajectories.  Our findings provide evidence-based insights for port authorities, developers, and policymakers to ensure that port and infrastructure bottlenecks do not delay offshore wind growth.