Assessment of offshore wind farm site suitability in India using GIS and MCDM methods

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable energy sources has prompted investigation of offshore wind farms (OfWF) as viable options. This study proposes an innovative framework combining GIS with MCDM methods to identify highly suitable sites and efficiently prioritize alternative sites for OfWF, specifically focusing on regions viable for fixed foundations within the Indian EEZ. It takes into account technical, economic, and socio-environmental criteria to identify the optimal sites for OfWF. Two types of criteria are involved: exclusion criteria, refining study area by excluding areas unsuitable for renewable energy projects, and evaluation criteria, influencing the viability of specific sites in line with defined objective. The methodology involves screening criteria from existing literature, preprocessing data through GIS, and calculating criteria weights with AHP and CRITIC methods. This is followed by ranking potential sites using TOPSIS and VIKOR, offering structured decision support. The final phase of the analysis involved evaluating the consistency between individual site rankings using the Spearman rank correlation, ensuring reliability in the ranking outcomes across selected methods. The findings suggest the top fifteen sites for installing wind farms, ranging in offshore regions from Pallam town in Kanyakumari to Kooduthalai in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu. This study’s insights on offshore renewable energy site selection in India are invaluable for policymakers, investors and sustainability initiatives, offering a roadmap for a cleaner and more sustainable energy future worldwide.