Fixed Offshore Wind

Capturing energy from offshore wind with bottom-mounted foundations.

Offshore wind energy technologies harness kinetic energy from the wind to generate energy and transport that energy back to shore via a subsea export cable. The main advantage of offshore wind energy is access to stronger and more consistent winds, allowing for the use of larger turbines. The development of offshore wind in Europe and Asia has preceded development activities in other parts of the world; however, several projects in the United States are currently underway.

There are different types of offshore wind turbine foundation on which the turbine can be installed, depending on the depth and substrate. Gravity foundations are used at shallow depths (0-30m) and consist of large, steel or concrete bases that rest on the seabed. Suction bucket foundations are also made from steel or concrete, and are installed using the pressure difference generated between the inside of the bucket and the water surrounding it (without any use of mechanical force). Monopile foundations are used at shallow depths (0-30 m) and consist of a pile that is driven into the seabed. Monopiles are typically less costly than other foundation types and are the most commonly used. Tripod fixed bottom foundations are used at transitional depths (20-80m) and consist of three legs connecting to a central shaft that supports the turbine base. Each leg has a pile driven into the seabed, which creates a wide foundation that allows for the piles to be placed at a shallower depth in the seabed than monopile foundations. Jacket foundations are also used at transitional depths (20-80m) and feature a lattice framework that comprises three to four anchoring points driven into the seafloor.

The environmental concerns associated with offshore wind farms vary with foundation type. Monopiles, for example, require pile-driving, which produces incredibly loud noises that tend to propagate far in the water, even after mitigation strategies such as bubble shields, slow start, and acoustic cladding are employed. Collision risk with birds and bats is a major concern, though the impact is more difficult to quantify offshore because carcasses that provide evidence of collisions become lost at sea. While the footprint of offshore wind energy is relatively small, it may still cause scouring and changes to sediment transport. As with all electricity generation, there is a slight concern that electromagnetic fields generated by power cables may affect animals that use Earth's natural magnetic field for orientation, navigation, and hunting. Artificial reefing is likely to occur around wind farms as the new hard substrate provides protection and attracts colonizing invertebrates and fish.

Affiliated Marine and Wind Energy Environmental Documents

Total results: 3160
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Seeing clearly in a virtual reality: Tourist reactions to an offshore wind project Teisl, M., Noblet, C., Corey, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Recreation & Tourism, Human Dimensions
Ornithological and Marine Fauna Aerial Survey Results of Lease Area OCS-A 0512 Equinor Quarterly Report: May 2018 to July 2018 Jervis, L., Warford, S., Willmott, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Rampion Offshore Wind Vestas Wind Systems A/S Project Site Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Spring 2018 Taxonomic Analysis Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Interim Guidance on apportioning impacts from marine renewable developments to breeding seabird populations in SPAs Scottish Natural Heritage Guidance Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Birds, Seabirds, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
Determining Habitat Use by Marine Mammals and Ambient Noise Levels Using Passive Acoustic Monitoring Offshore of Maryland Bailey, H., Rice, A., Wingfield, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals
Offshore Wind Farms as Potential Locations for Flat Oyster (Ostrea edulis) Restoration in the Dutch North Sea Kamermans, P., Walles, B., Kraan, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Use of an optical rangefinder to assess the reliability of seabird flight heights from boat‐based surveyors: implications for collision risk at offshore wind farms Harwood, A., Perrow, M., Berridge, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Seabirds, Birds
Ocean Literacy for Workforce Development in the Shipbuilding and Offshore Renewable Energy Sectors in Europe, in Support of the Blue Economy: The MATES Project Papathanasiou, M., Tuddenham, P., Bishop, K. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Social & Economic Data
Characteristics of the soundscape before and after the construction of the Block Island Wind Farm Tripathy, A., Miller, J., Potty, G. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Documenting fish response to seismic surveying and establishing a baseline soundscape for reefs in Onslow Bay, North Carolina Paxton, A., Voss, C., Peterson, C. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates
Mitigation measures for bats in offshore wind farms Evaluation and improvement of curtailment strategies Boonman, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Bats
Ørsted Hornsea Project Four Limited Environmental Impact Assessment: Scoping Report Ørsted Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Connectivity of larval stages of sedentary marine communities between hard substrates and offshore structures in the North Sea van der Molen, J., García-García, L., Whomersley, P. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
2018 SAP Benthic Survey Report (Empire Wind) Alpine Ocean Seismic Survey Inc., Gardline Ltd. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Physical Environment
Midterm Evaluation WOZEP 2018 Mulder, S., van Mastrigt, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Ornithological and Marine Fauna Aerial Survey of Lease Area OCSA 0512 Monthly Report: July 2018 Jervis, L., Warford, S., Wilmott, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Underwater noise levels of pile-driving in a New Zealand harbour, and the potential impacts on endangered Hector's dolphins Leunissen, E., Dawson, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Oil and gas infrastructure decommissioning in marine protected areas: System complexity, analysis and challenges Burdon, D., Barnard, S., Boyes, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Wave, Tidal, Fixed Offshore Wind, Marine Energy
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Spring 2018 Target Extraction Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Ornithological and Marine Fauna Aerial Survey of Lease Area OCSA 0512 Monthly Report: June 2018 Jervis, L., Warford, S., Wilmott, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
JWGBIRD Report 2018: Report of the Joint OSPAR/HELCOM/ICES Working Group on Marine Birds (JWGBIRD) International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Report Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Seabirds
Effects of larger turbines for the offshore wind farm at Krieger's Flak, Sweden. Assessment of impact on marine mammals Tougaard, J., Mikaelsen, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds
Effective Offshore Piling Noise Mitigation in Deep Waters Elmer, K. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Marine Mammals
The consequences of seabird habitat loss from offshore wind turbines: a research plan for five selected species van Kooten, T., Soudijn, F., Leopold, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Displacement Birds, Seabirds
Pilot field study: observations from a fixed platform on occurrence and behaviour of common guillemots and other seabirds in offshore wind farm Luchterduinen Leopold, M., Verdaat, H. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Collision Birds, Seabirds
Research and Data Needs Pacific Fishery Management Council Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Fish, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Stakeholder Engagement
Benthic production and energy export from man-made structures to softbottoms: does it matter? Dannheim, J., Birchenough, S., Beermann, J. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
Atlantic Deepwater Ecosystem Observatory Network (ADEON): An Integrated System for Long-Term Monitoring of Ecological and Human Factors on the Outer Continental Shelf Miksis-Olds, J., Martin, B., Warren, J. Report Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Displacement, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
An ecosystem approach for studying the impact of offshore wind farms: a French case study Pezy, J., Raoux, A., Dauvin, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Ecosystem Processes
Dredging-induced turbid plumes affect bio-irrigation and biogeochemistry in sediments inhabited by Lanice conchilega Mestdagh, S., Ysebaert, T., Moens, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Invertebrates
Simulation of Composite Suction Foundation to Topography Change Lin, S., Wang, H., Chiang, Y. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Creation of microhabitats (tidepools) in ripraps with climax communities as a way to mitigate negative effects of artificial substrate on marine biodiversity Ostale-Valriberas, E., Sempere-Valverde, J., Coppa, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Marine Energy Habitat Change Invertebrates
Ornithological and Marine Fauna Aerial Survey of Lease Area OCSA 0512 Monthly Report: May 2018 Jervis, L., Warford, S., Wilmott, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Flatfish habitat use near North America's first offshore wind farm Wilber, D., Carey, D., Griffin, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Fish, Demersal Fish
Final Environmental Assessment LEEDCo Project Icebreaker Lake Erie, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio Parker, R., Kerwin, K., Kozlowski, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Towards sustainable implementation of maritime spatial planning in Europe: A peek into the potential of the Regional Sea Conventions playing a stronger role de Grunt, L., Calado, H. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Potential Interaction Analysis of Offshore Wind Energy Areas and Breeding Avian Species on the US Mid-Atlantic Coast Wisman, J., Maxwell, S. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Seabirds, Birds
Understanding Marine Mammal Presence in the Virginia Offshore Wind Energy Area Salisbury, D., Estabrook, B., Klinck, H. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals
Predicting the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances on marine populations Nabe-Nielsen, J., van Beest, F., Grimm, V. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Noise Marine Mammals
Displaying 1481 - 1520 of 3160 results