(With videos) For some time now, researchers have been looking into the use of floating wind turbines. Some even say the technology is now mature. Most important advantages of this type of turbine are that they are cheaper and can be placed in deeper waters.
Statoil, a Norwegian energy company, plans to build a floating wind farm 15 miles off the coast of Peterhead, Scotland, by the end of 2017. A plan that was recently approved by the Scottish Government.
This so called Hywind floating wind farm will consist of five floating wind turbines, each measuring 258 metres. Their floating steel tube will be filled with ballast and they will be tethered to the seafloor by three moorings. With 6 MW each, the five turbines can offer power to approximately 20,000 homes.
The video below by Tomo News shows just how this will work.
Under Development
In the meantime, research on floating offshore wind turbines is ongoing with new designs and concepts being developed all the time. Below you find three examples. For the first model, the researchers have relied on nature's design found in the adaptive behaviour of the palm trees to high winds. This wind turbine can be installed in deep water, floats and is anchored to the seabed with mooring lines.
The second is an animation by DNV GL that shows how offshore wind can be used to power reservoir water injection and how this system leads to further developments in floating wind turbines and energy storage.
The final video shows the design for a floating foundation for an offshore wind turbine created by Ideol Offshore.
