The inertia transition of grid-integrated floating and fixed offshore wind energy in the Philippines

This study investigates the role of grid-integrated offshore wind (OSW) in coastal regions of an archipelagic country, focusing on the implications for system stability and inertia constraints. Conventional energy modeling frameworks often neglect the temporal and spatial complexities that characterize archipelagic nations such as the Philippines, where fragmented grids and limited inter-island connectivity create significant operational constraints. To address these challenges, several scenarios were developed to assess the integration of floating and fixed OSW technologies within the Philippine power grid under varying inertia conditions. The results reveal the growing advantage of floating platforms, with capacities expanding from 430 MW in low-growth conditions to nearly 4,500 MW in high-growth cases when supported by Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The inclusion of decarbonization measures further enhances OSW deployment potential. Findings present an optimization-based approach for supporting national climate objectives and advancing the global transition toward low-carbon, resilient, and sustainable energy systems. The results indicate that floating offshore wind leads in capacity expansion, particularly under high-growth conditions, reaching 1,262 MW. In contrast, fixed offshore wind plays a smaller role due to limitations related to depth and site accessibility. High-growth scenario with and without CO₂ mitigation and BESS shows that both the addition of BESS and CO₂ reduction policies substantially increase offshore wind deployment. In this case, floating offshore wind capacity reaches 11,258 MW, while fixed offshore wind rises to 1,837 MW. This highlights the significance of energy storage and climate policies in enhancing offshore wind energy production. We also compared the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Without CO₂ constraints, fixed offshore wind often proves to be unviable. However, when BESS and CO₂ reduction measures are implemented, the LCOE decreases significantly. In the most favorable scenario, the LCOE drops to 0.18 USD/kWh for fixed offshore wind and 0.15 USD/kWh for floating offshore wind.