BLIX, in a joint venture with CESI (Italy) and Synotech (Bangladesh), was awarded the Pre-Feasibility and Detailed Feasibility Study to develop of offshore wind farms in Bangladesh by the Power Division, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources from the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. This marks the first project for BLIX in this part of the world and we are excited to be part of this interesting team of experts.
In 2022, the Bangladesh Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) has set a target of generating 5GW of onshore and offshore wind power by 2030. The study awarded to BLIX and its joint venture partners is part of the pathway towards this target.
Pre-feasibility study: 26 blocks in the Bay of Bengal
Bangladesh has identified 26 potential blocks in both deep and shallow seas in the Bay of Bengal. A previous National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study discovered that the country has wind speeds of 5.75-7.75 m/s. In the pre-feasibility study, the project team will assess which of these 26 blocks have the best potential of wind energy. First, a site selection methodology specific to the Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh power system will be developed, based on the most up to date offshore wind generation technologies. Second, the costs to implement offshore wind farms in the Bay of Bengal will be high-level analysed.
Feasibility study: The two most prospective blocks
During the Detailed Feasibility study, the two most prospective blocks will be further investigated. This will include the identification of the key requirements to implement offshore wind projects, a study of the power system and the development of a solution to connect the wind farm(s) to the grid. Additionally, a comprehensive economic/financial assessment of these off-shore wind projects will be prepared and proposals for technical and regulatory support to deploy offshore wind farms will be created. To ensure the success of the study, it is essential to share the findings with local stakeholders via dissemination.
The role of BLIX
BLIX’s role in the project is to provide technical and engineering expertise during both the Pre-Feasibility and Detailed Feasibility phases. During the Pre-Feasibility phase, BLIX will use GIS tools and collected data to identify potential offshore wind energy development zones. BLIX will create a scoring methodology to qualitatively assess possible areas and score them based on site characteristics and possible conflicts. BLIX will also create a technology catalogue to present the current and future trends in offshore wind and applicable and feasible technologies to the selected zones. During the Detailed Feasibility phase, BLIX will optimize the wind park’s layout and design the foundation structures for wind turbines and substations. BLIX will also review existing metocean and other available site data, which will be used to inform on the foundation and other designs. Finally, BLIX will develop an O&M strategy for the selected zones and estimate the costs of the wind park with its in-house cost database and LCoE model. This model can be used for financial and economic analysis.
Bayram Mercan, BLIX Project Manager: “BLIX has extensive experience working with governments to define the offshore wind development zones. This project will extend our existence in the South Asia market and will give a chance to transfer our knowledge to define successful tendering mechanisms by creating feasible projects.”
The extensive, collective experience of Synotech, ADB projects and power system studies of CESI, alongside the integral expertise of BLIX in the early stages of offshore wind farms, make this project team ideal for the task at hand. We anticipate furthering this study and providing the Government of Bangladesh with a clear roadmap to renewable energy.