A risk management model for integrating resilience into renewable energy projects

Renewable energy (RE) projects are often impacted by external environmental factors that cannot be predicted precisely. Conventional risk management relies solely on predicting risks and subsequently, implementing control measures. Since all risks cannot be predicted, this approach is not suitable for RE projects. Holling’s resilience theory explains that systems resist and/or recover from unexpected events due to certain features that enable them to do so. Therefore, building the capacity to succeed despite unexpected events is a more productive pursuit than risk prediction. Through this theoretical lens, a novel risk management model for integrating resilience into RE projects was developed by adapting the Swiss cheese model (SChM). This was then evaluated in a two-stage expert interview with a total of 35 participants. Results confirm the suitability of the SChM as the conceptual basis for the model, and the model’s satisfactoriness in terms of presentation, logic, adequacy, completeness, and adaptability. The model complements conventional risk management by providing a platform for assessing the resilience of RE projects to unexpected events and mapping any weaknesses to control measures. This study extends Holling’s resilience theory from ecological systems to RE projects, and the application of SChM from accident prevention to risk management.