Engineering Feasibility Assessment of Cage Aquaculture in Offshore Wind Power Generation Areas in Taiwan

Abstract

This paper investigates the engineering feasibility of cage aquaculture in the offshore wind farm area of Changhua, Taiwan. Two types of net cages commonly used in Taiwan are compared under typhoon wave and monsoon wave conditions to determine the suitable one. The submersible function of the selected cages to reduce the typhoon wave effect is analyzed. The yearly probability of the remaining volumes of the selected cages (deformed volume/undeformed volume) under a wave scatter diagram combined with a tidal current of the study area are analyzed and discussed. The influences of water depth on the selected cages for the site selection are investigated. Regarding the seabed sand waves in the study area, two potential disasters of mooring line failure and anchor sinking on the selected cages are considered and discussed. Both issues are a concern for the wind farm developers, fishery groups, and government authorities. According to the results, the selected cage aquaculture is feasible from an engineering standpoint in the case study area.