Floating Offshore Wind

Capturing energy from offshore wind using floating 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. Several floating offshore wind energy demonstrations exist throughout the world, but the technology is yet to be widely deployed.

Floating foundations are used at deep depths (40->1000m) and consist of a balanced floating substructure moored to the seabed with fixed cables. The substructure may be stabilized using buoyancy, mooring lines, or a ballast. Several designs for floating offshore wind substructures currently exist for various depth ranges, including barges, semi-submersibles, tension leg platforms, and single point anchorage buoys. These substructures are connected to one another via inter-array cables, which transport electricity generated from the turbine to floating offshore substations. High voltage export cables then transport the energy to shore. To better understand floating offshore wind, explore these videos from RWE.

The environmental concerns associated with offshore wind farms vary with foundation type. In general, 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. 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. Although pile driving is one of the main concerns surrounding fixed offshore wind energy, floating projects can be constructed onshore and transported out to sea, reducing the impacts from construction-related noise and vessels. Floating foundation’s mooring lines may cause minor scouring or pose a risk of collision or entrapment, but the turbine foundation is mostly located in the upper layer of the water column where there tend to be less organisms.

Photo Credit: Joshua Bauer, NREL

Marine and Wind Energy Environmental Documents Related to Floating Offshore Wind

Total results: 632
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Floating offshore wind - Economic and ecological challenges of a TLP solution Kausche, M., Adam, F., Dahlhaus, F. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Humpback Whale Encounter with Offshore Wind Mooring Lines and Inter-Array Cables Copping, A., Grear, M. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Entanglement Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
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
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
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
Research and Data Needs Pacific Fishery Management Council Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Fish, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Stakeholder Engagement
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
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
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
Cumulative Adverse Effects of Offshore Wind Energy Development on Wildlife [Thesis] Goodale, M. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summary of Summer 2018 Digital Survey #9 Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Marine Spatial Planning and Marine Renewables: Linking Concepts for Implementation. A Case Study from Scotland MacDonald, A. Thesis Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Improving the coexistence of offshore wind farms and shipping: an international comparison of navigational risk assessment processes Mehdi, R., Schröder-Hinrichs, J., van Overloop, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Navigation
Ornithological and Marine Fauna Aerial Survey Results of Lease Area OCS-A 0512 Equinor Quarterly Report: February 2018 to April 2018 Jervis, L., Warford, S., Willmott, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Fish, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Winter 2017–2018 Target Extraction Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Environmental Sensitivity and Associated Risk to Habitats and Species Offshore Central California and Hawaii from Offshore Floating Wind Technologies Morandi, A., Berkman, S., Rowe, J. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
Ornithological and Marine Fauna Aerial Survey of Lease Area OCSA 0512 Monthly Report: April 2018 Jervis, L., Warford, S., Goddard, B. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
CENTRAL EÓLICA OFFSHORE WINDFLOAT ATLANTIC WindPlus, Julio de Jesus Consultores Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Hywind Tampen vindpark. Vurdering av konsekvenser for sjøfugl. Moe, B., Christensen-Dalsgaard, S., Follestad, A. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Seabirds, Ecosystem Processes, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Ornithological and Marine Fauna Aerial Survey of Lease Area OCSA 0512 Monthly Report: March 2018 Jervis, L., Warford, S., Goddard, B. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Winter 2017-2018 Taxonomic Analysis Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Hywind Tampen vindpark Konsekvenser for fiskeriene Aaserød, M., Bjørgesæter, A. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Ecosystem Processes, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries
Field validation of radar systems for monitoring bird migration Nilsson, C., Dokter, A., Schmid, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement Bats, Birds
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy 2016-2017 Large Bony Fish and Fish Shoal Interim Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Fish
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summary of Spring 2018 Digital Survey #8 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: February 2018 Jervis, L., Warford, S., Goulding, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Offshore Wind Sediment Stability Evaluation Framework Jones, C., McWilliams, S., Engelmann, G. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
Environmental Management Plan (EMP): Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm Project Kincardine Offshore Wind Ltd Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
Risk of whale encounters with offshore renewable energy mooring lines and electrical cables Copping, A., Grear, M., Sanders, G. Presentation Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Entanglement Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Ornithological and Marine Fauna Aerial Survey Results of Lease Area OCS-A 0512 Equinor Quarterly Report: November 2017 to January 2018 Jervis, L., Warford, S., Wilmott, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Bats, Fish, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Ornithological and Marine Fauna Aerial Survey of Empire Wind Monthly Report: November 2017 Jervis, L., Warford, S., Wilmott, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Ornithological and Marine Fauna Aerial Survey of Lease Area OCSA 0512 Monthly Report: January 2018 Jervis, L., Warford, S., Willmott, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Global Wind Report 2018 Global Wind Energy Council Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Engagement
Wozep Ecological Programme: Tussenstand Wozep 2018 Offshore Wind Ecological Programme (Wozep) Presentation Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Passerines, Seabirds, Waterfowl, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds
Summary Report: Best Management Practices Workshop for Atlantic Offshore Wind Facilities and Marine Protected Species Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summary of Winter 2017–2018 Digital Survey #7 Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Fall 2017 Taxonomic Analysis Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Fall 2017 Target Extraction Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Summary Report of the New York Bight Sea Turtle Workshop Bonacci-Sullivan, L. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summary of Fall 2017 Digital Survey #6 Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Displaying 481 - 520 of 632 results