Multi-criteria selection of offshore wind farms: Case study for the Baltic States

This paper presents a multi-criteria selection approach for offshore wind sites assessment. The proposed site selection framework takes into consideration the electricity network’s operating security aspects, economic investment, operation costs and capacity performances relative to each potential site. The selection decision is made through Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), with an inherited flexibility that aims to allow end users to adjust the expected benefits accordingly to their respective and global priorities. The proposed site selection framework is implemented as an interactive case study for three Baltic States in the 2020 time horizon, based on real data and exhaustive power network models, taking into consideration the foreseen upgrades and network reinforcements. For each country the optimal offshore wind sites are assessed under multiple weight contribution scenarios, reflecting the characteristics of market design, regulatory aspects or renewable integration targets. •We use a multi-criteria selection approach for offshore wind sites assessment.•Security aspects, economic investment, operation costs and capacity performances are included.•The selection decision is made through an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).•We implement the methodology as a case study for three Baltic States in the 2020 time horizon.