the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Optimizing offshore wind export cable routing using GIS-based environmental heat maps
Abstract. In the United States, there are plans to produce up to 30 GW of offshore wind power by the year 2030, resulting in numerous seabed lease areas which are currently going through the leasing or construction & operations phase. A key challenge associated with offshore wind is optimal routing and installation of the subsea power cables, which transmit power from the main offshore wind energy production area to a land-based station, where it connects to the electrical grid. By traversing a vast extent of the seafloor, the installation and operational phases of subsea power cables have the potential to result in a range of environmental impacts, which may negatively affect sensitive biological, physical and human and/or cultural resource receptors. Presented here is a case study from southeastern North Carolina to identify optimal seabed cable routes and coastal landfalls for a recently leased offshore wind farm by using a combination of publicly available data, coupled with standard environmental impact assessment methodologies and GIS-based heat maps. The study identified a range of high-risk areas, in addition to a number of potential low risk routes and landfall areas which minimize seabed user conflicts and impacts to environmentally sensitive locations. Although additional high resolution and site specific environmental, geological and biological surveys are required to develop a robust cable installation plan, the preliminary steps from this research optimizes early phase marine spatial planning for offshore wind projects and other similar subsea industries.
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RC1: 'Comment on wes-2023-146', Silvia Paoletti, 13 Dec 2023
Dear Editor,
Dear Authors,
Hereby I would like to share with you my review of the manuscript titled “Optimizing offshore wind export cable routing using GIS-based environmental heat maps” and authored by Joni Thomas Backstrom and Nicholas Mark Warden.
The study targets a very important issue in offshore marine renewable energy development, which is the installation and transmission of subsea power cables on the seafloor. The study presents a method with which all environmental and socio-economical receptors are identified and considered when mapping the potential impacts and risks of cable routing. The study clearly applies the method to an offshore wind farm case study in North Carolina, delivering proposed cable routes that optimize installation by minimizing risks and impacts. The study is original, scientifically correct, and well described, and it enables the reproduction and application elsewhere. I believe the manuscript is worthy of publication given the minor revisions proposed as comments in the attached pdf file.
Kind regards,
Silvia Paoletti
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AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Joni Backstrom, 13 Dec 2023
Dear Silvia,
Thank you for the thorough and detailed review of our export cable manuscript. The co-authors and I appreciate the constructive and positive comments. We will certainly make all of the suggested edits for the revised version of the paper, significantly improving the current one under review.
Sincerely,
Joni Thomas Backstrom
UNC Wilmington
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2023-146-AC1
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AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Joni Backstrom, 13 Dec 2023
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RC2: 'Comment on wes-2023-146', Anonymous Referee #2, 21 Dec 2023
Dear Editor,
Dear Authors,
Please find attached my review of the manuscript titled “Optimizing offshore wind export cable routing using GIS-based environmental heat maps”.
The study proposes the analysis of environmental impacts related to the installation offshore marine renewable energy subsea transmission cables, through a method that combines insight from EIA methodologies, conflict resolution studies and GIS suitability analysis. The study also discusses potential socio-economic impacts of a number of cable routing options, as resulted from the analysis of environmental impacts. As emphasized in the manuscript, this is indeed a topic less researched, highly relevant and timely, due to the high ambitions for a fast deployment of renewables offshore.
The area of study study is thoroughly presented, the method correctly applied and the sources for the geo-spatial is clearly referenced. With minor revisions (proposed in the attached pdf), the manuscript is worthy of publication as it provides added value in the field of cumulative impacts of renewable energy infrastructure.
Kind regards,
Laura Gusatu
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AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Joni Backstrom, 23 Dec 2023
Dear Laura,
Thank you for agreeing to review our export cable manuscript on behalf of WES. We appreciate the edits and suggestions you have recommended, and we will consider these carefully with our revised paper. Please note the sensitivity values we proposed in the analysis are based on local environmental knowledge and standard EIA methodology (magnitude of effect vs sensitivity of receptor), which we believe are most suitable in this particular case. It would be interesting to try different sensitivity values, and communicate with specific cable experts, but it is beyond the scope of our proposed study. Your suggestion to run the cable route across the shortest distance within the navigation channel is an interesting concept, which we plan on exploring further by speaking to local subsea cable experts and by reviewing the German studies you referred to - which is much appreciated. The proposed 'perpendicular to navigation channel' will undoubtedly increase the export cable route distance (i.e. will no longer be the shortest possible route from windfarm to land which we identified) but it will be faster to complete within a constrained/sensitive/high risk area and will have less distance covered within the shipping channel, which is an important consideration. As a minimum, we will include this alternative suggestion in the revised paper. Thank you for taking the time to carefully review our manuscript. Much appreciated!
Kind regards,
Joni Thomas Backstrom & Nicholas Warden
UNC Wilmington
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2023-146-AC2
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AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Joni Backstrom, 23 Dec 2023
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RC3: 'Comment on wes-2023-146', Anonymous Referee #3, 10 Jan 2024
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AC3: 'Reply on RC3', Joni Backstrom, 27 Dec 2023
The co-authors and I want to thank you for the thorough and detailed review of our manuscript, in addition to the constructive and positive comments you provided. We plan to address all of the 'clarification' comments you mentioned, in addition to correcting some of the smaller grammatical errors you kindly pointed out. Again, many thanks.
Sincerely,
Joni Thomas Backstrom
UNC Wilmington
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2023-146-AC3
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AC3: 'Reply on RC3', Joni Backstrom, 27 Dec 2023
Status: closed
-
RC1: 'Comment on wes-2023-146', Silvia Paoletti, 13 Dec 2023
Dear Editor,
Dear Authors,
Hereby I would like to share with you my review of the manuscript titled “Optimizing offshore wind export cable routing using GIS-based environmental heat maps” and authored by Joni Thomas Backstrom and Nicholas Mark Warden.
The study targets a very important issue in offshore marine renewable energy development, which is the installation and transmission of subsea power cables on the seafloor. The study presents a method with which all environmental and socio-economical receptors are identified and considered when mapping the potential impacts and risks of cable routing. The study clearly applies the method to an offshore wind farm case study in North Carolina, delivering proposed cable routes that optimize installation by minimizing risks and impacts. The study is original, scientifically correct, and well described, and it enables the reproduction and application elsewhere. I believe the manuscript is worthy of publication given the minor revisions proposed as comments in the attached pdf file.
Kind regards,
Silvia Paoletti
-
AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Joni Backstrom, 13 Dec 2023
Dear Silvia,
Thank you for the thorough and detailed review of our export cable manuscript. The co-authors and I appreciate the constructive and positive comments. We will certainly make all of the suggested edits for the revised version of the paper, significantly improving the current one under review.
Sincerely,
Joni Thomas Backstrom
UNC Wilmington
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2023-146-AC1
-
AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Joni Backstrom, 13 Dec 2023
-
RC2: 'Comment on wes-2023-146', Anonymous Referee #2, 21 Dec 2023
Dear Editor,
Dear Authors,
Please find attached my review of the manuscript titled “Optimizing offshore wind export cable routing using GIS-based environmental heat maps”.
The study proposes the analysis of environmental impacts related to the installation offshore marine renewable energy subsea transmission cables, through a method that combines insight from EIA methodologies, conflict resolution studies and GIS suitability analysis. The study also discusses potential socio-economic impacts of a number of cable routing options, as resulted from the analysis of environmental impacts. As emphasized in the manuscript, this is indeed a topic less researched, highly relevant and timely, due to the high ambitions for a fast deployment of renewables offshore.
The area of study study is thoroughly presented, the method correctly applied and the sources for the geo-spatial is clearly referenced. With minor revisions (proposed in the attached pdf), the manuscript is worthy of publication as it provides added value in the field of cumulative impacts of renewable energy infrastructure.
Kind regards,
Laura Gusatu
-
AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Joni Backstrom, 23 Dec 2023
Dear Laura,
Thank you for agreeing to review our export cable manuscript on behalf of WES. We appreciate the edits and suggestions you have recommended, and we will consider these carefully with our revised paper. Please note the sensitivity values we proposed in the analysis are based on local environmental knowledge and standard EIA methodology (magnitude of effect vs sensitivity of receptor), which we believe are most suitable in this particular case. It would be interesting to try different sensitivity values, and communicate with specific cable experts, but it is beyond the scope of our proposed study. Your suggestion to run the cable route across the shortest distance within the navigation channel is an interesting concept, which we plan on exploring further by speaking to local subsea cable experts and by reviewing the German studies you referred to - which is much appreciated. The proposed 'perpendicular to navigation channel' will undoubtedly increase the export cable route distance (i.e. will no longer be the shortest possible route from windfarm to land which we identified) but it will be faster to complete within a constrained/sensitive/high risk area and will have less distance covered within the shipping channel, which is an important consideration. As a minimum, we will include this alternative suggestion in the revised paper. Thank you for taking the time to carefully review our manuscript. Much appreciated!
Kind regards,
Joni Thomas Backstrom & Nicholas Warden
UNC Wilmington
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2023-146-AC2
-
AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Joni Backstrom, 23 Dec 2023
-
RC3: 'Comment on wes-2023-146', Anonymous Referee #3, 10 Jan 2024
-
AC3: 'Reply on RC3', Joni Backstrom, 27 Dec 2023
The co-authors and I want to thank you for the thorough and detailed review of our manuscript, in addition to the constructive and positive comments you provided. We plan to address all of the 'clarification' comments you mentioned, in addition to correcting some of the smaller grammatical errors you kindly pointed out. Again, many thanks.
Sincerely,
Joni Thomas Backstrom
UNC Wilmington
Citation: https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2023-146-AC3
-
AC3: 'Reply on RC3', Joni Backstrom, 27 Dec 2023
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