Projected Changes in Wind Power Potential over a Vulnerable Eastern Mediterranean Area Using EURO-CORDEX RCMs According to rcp4. 5 and rcp8. 5 Scenarios

Under the threat of the climate crisis, renewables are an alternative that are aligned to European principles for clean energy and green transition strategies. Past studies have shown that the Eastern Mediterranean will present notable short- and long-term wind speed variability due to climate change. In this context, this study investigates the mean changes in wind energy potential (WEP) of a typical height of offshore turbines (80 m) over the climate sensitive area of the Aegean Sea during early, middle and late periods of the 21st century with reference to a base period (the historical period from 1970 to 2005). Data, available from EURO-CORDEX project under the moderate and extreme future scenarios (rcp4.5 and rcp8.5) as well as the recent past (historical) period (from 1970 to 2005), are analyzed here. In both future scenarios, the majority of model simulations indicates an increase in the WEP over the Aegean area as compared to the base period. In particular, the maximum increase in WEP is higher in the rcp8.5 scenario as compared to the rcp4.5 scenario. The most significant changes are shown over the southeastern (the straights between Crete and Rhodes Island) and the central-eastern Aegean area.