Offshore wind farms modify the marine boundary layer and the wave field: turbine wakes reduce wind speed and alter surface stress, while monopile foundations scatter wave energy and enhance local dissipation. These processes can influence metocean conditions, operational windows and fatigue risk across both development and O&M phases. 

In this webinar, we quantify wake‑ and foundation‑driven impacts on wave climate and wind stress using MIKE 21 Spectral Waves (SW) with advanced wind‑input physics and wave‑diffraction source terms, validated against German Bight case studies. We compare scenarios with and without wakes, isolate monopile effects using structure‑interaction parameterisations, and examine changes in Hm0/Tp and wave‑induced stress. We will also discuss what these shifts mean for coupled atmosphere–ocean modelling workflows and offshore wind design studies. 

This work is funded by the CETP EuroWindWakes (EWW) project.

After attending, you will be able to:

• Understand how OWF wakes modify wave growth and surface stress under typical North Sea conditions.

• Identify when monopile foundations measurably change local spectra and Hm0, and what that means for operations and fatigue assessments.

• Apply practical MIKE 21 SW setup recommendations for modelling wave conditions under wind‑farm influence (inputs, validation approach and scenario design).