offshore wind energy; energy production; life cycle costs; levelized cost of energy; techno-economic viability

Wind energy is a renewable, abundant, safe and clean energy resource used to generate electricity. According to projections by the International Energy Agency (IEA), global offshore installed capacity will grow from 24 GW in 2018 to 1000 GW in 2050. Such projections point out that the offshore wind energy industry will become a US$ 1 trillion business starting in the 2040s. In Brazil, all electricity generation from the wind source comes from onshore wind farms, with no offshore power plants in operation yet. However, in the maritime environment, Brazil has an extensive coastline with vast untapped wind potential, which would be sufficient to supply the country's energy demand in the long term. The objective of this study is to estimate energy production and supply capacity, as well as to estimate the costs of electricity generated from a 1 GW OWF located close to the coast of Rio Grande do Norte State. Theoretical research covered the themes: (i) wind energy use; (ii) offshore wind potential; (iii) main elements of offshore wind energy systems, (iv) OWFs economic aspects and (v) OWFs life-cycle costs. Field research consisted of a case study for a 1 GW OWF located 20 km from the coast of the municipality of Guamaré/RN, in shallow waters, in water depths ranging from 10 to 20 meters. Results show that the average annual wind speed is 10.8 m/s at the selected site, with a standard deviation of 2.51 m/s. Capacity factors range from 54% to 62% and were calculated for a DTU-10 MW wind turbine. In a conservative scenario, the OWF annual P90 energy output would supply electricity, on average, for more than 1.8 million inhabitants or 2.4 million homes in Brazil, at a levelized cost of energy (LCoE) ranging from US$ 53.92/MWh to US$ 65.15/MWh.