Following years of funding into research and development in the wind energy sector, wind power technology has improved immensely, with the emergence of giant blades, quieter engines and floating turbines. Thanks to this development, energy companies are now investing in the launch of innovative new floating wind farms in various locations around the world. This is expected to help operators generate greater levels of offshore wind power and develop projects in a wider range of places.
Most offshore wind turbines are constructed on fixed structures, meaning that they must be developed in shallow waters where the seabed is accessible. The wind is stronger on the ocean than on land, allowing wind turbines to generate more power, and making the sea an attractive location to establish wind energy projects. Following years of research and development aimed at creating alternative structures that allow wind turbines to be situated in a wider range of locations, researchers have developed the technology needed to establish floating wind farms.
Floating offshore wind projects consist of turbines situated on floating rather than fixed structures that are anchored to the seabed. The floating nature of the bases means that these turbines can be placed in deeper waters, where the wind power potential is higher. Turbines are erected on a floating offshore wind platform (FOWP) made of concrete, steel or the two. These structures are stabilised by moorings and anchors and are designed to distribute the masses and weights. The turbine blades are powered by wind, which converts into electricity, to be transported via underwater cables to offshore substations and then onto land. There are several types of FOWPs including barge, which is shaped like a ship; semi-submergible, which consists of several vertical cylinders joined by beams and braces; spar, which is cylindrical and relies on a counterweight; and tensioned legs platforms, which have several arms and are kept stable by using tensioned steel cables.
Scientists are also enthusiastic about floating wind farms from an environmental point of view. FOWPs can be built and assembled on land before being towed offshore to site, meaning project development is less invasive and potentially less harmful to marine life. The turbines are also expected to be more energy efficient thanks to the stronger wind. Another benefit of floating wind farms is that energy companies can escape the not-in-my-backyard view from communities opposing wind turbines due to their visual impact on the landscape, as most of these projects will not be seen from shore.
Several governments are backing floating wind projects, in the hope of diversifying their clean energy mix in the transition to green. In the U.S., the Department of Energy (DoE), the Interior (DoI), Commerce, and Transportation (DoT) launched the Floating Offshore Wind Shot™ to establish the U.S. as a leader in floating offshore wind turbine design, development, and manufacturing. Between September 2022 and May 2024, the three agencies invested over $950 million in the scheme, which supports planning, leasing actions, research, development, demonstration, and deployment efforts through mechanisms such as direct federal investments, associated cost share, and lease-related bidding credits. The initiative aims to decrease the cost of floating offshore wind energy by over 70 percent, to $45 per megawatt-hour by 2035 for deep water sites far from shore.
In the U.K., offshore wind has been a major contributor to the country’s energy mix for several years and the government has supported the development of new floating wind projects. Around 10 miles off the coast of Aberdeen in Scotland, there are already five floating wind turbines measuring a height of 190 metres above the sea that generate enough clean power for around 35,000 homes. With approximately 80 percent of the world’s offshore wind resources located in waters deeper than 60 metres, the U.K. government is eager to approve more floating wind farms.
The conventional offshore wind farm sector is expected to remain much bigger than floating wind operations for several years, with a forecast capacity of 60 GW by 2030, compared to 5 GW of floating wind projects. However, the government is committed to expanding offshore wind power and diversifying the country’s clean energy mix. The industry’s trade association, Renewable U.K., expects floating offshore wind farms to represent over half of the country’s offshore wind generation by the 2040s.
In Japan, in June, two consortia were chosen under the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Green Innovation Fund to develop demonstration floating offshore wind projects. The first consortium is led by Marubeni Offshore Wind Development and other local partners, including SSE Pacifico. This month, “K” Line Wind Service (KWS), a subsidiary of the “K” Line Group, signed an MoU with U.K.-headquartered Acteon to share their skills and services to develop commercial floating offshore wind projects in Japan. This reflects the government’s ambitions to establish Japan as a regional leader in offshore floating wind.
By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com
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