A method to determine the optimal transmission system topology for multiple offshore wind farms is introduced using a rule-based generic algorithm. The methodology is implemented as a software tool determining the best economical and technically feasible offshore transmission solution. The optimization algorithm takes radial, ring shaped, and meshed transmission topologies into consideration. Besides the investments for the offshore grid also new connections or reinforcements in the existing onshore grid are proposed by the algorithm. The developed tool delivers a set of transmission system topologies ranked after their life cycle system costs with their corresponding transmission voltage and technology (HVAC or HVDC), the necessary transmission equipment, and its rating. The optimization results are based on publicly available data. The achieved results are compared with other studies and validated. The developed tool can be used in the planning phase as a guidance for offshore developers with investment decisions and for long-term offshore grid planning, e.g., towards an offshore supergrid.
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