OIL SPILL RISK ANALYSIS FOR CAPE WIND ENERGY PROJECT

Abstract

ABSTRACT The oil spill risk associated with an offshore wind farm was analyzed. This paper describes the methodology employed to determine the probability that a spill would occur, as well as the size probability distribution of potential spills, including worst-case discharge scenarios from the facility. Spills from vessels transiting surrounding waters due to collisions, allisions, and groundings were also evaluated. The analysis involved: evaluating events that might cause damage to the electric service platform (ESP) and wind turbine generators (WTG) components of the wind farm; analysis of the probability of each of these events occurring; analysis of the probability that these events cause damage to the ESP/WTGs; and estimation of the probability of the events causing damage sufficient to cause an oil spill. Data were aggregated for all spill causes to determine the overall probability distribution function of spill volumes. Probability size distributions for all spill causes were coupled with the probability of spill occurrence to provide an overall function to predict the probability of a particular spill of a certain volume occurring over 5, 10, and 30 years.