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Floating Offshore Wind

Floating Wind Turbine Designs
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

Tethys is a knowledge hub that contains documents on the environmental effects of wind and marine energy. The table below contains all of the documents in the Tethys Knowledge Base associated with Floating Offshore Wind.

Total: 804

Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Synthesis of the Science Workshop: Day 1 Summary Consensus Building Institute Workshop Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
The Wildlife Sensitivity Mapping Manual: Practical guidance for renewable energy planning in the European Union Allinson, T., Jobson, B., Crowe, O. Guidance Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Bats, Birds, Physical Environment, Marine Mammals
New York Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG) Meeting Summary – 5 October 2020 Gulka, J. Workshop Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Bats, Birds
Characterization of alloying components in galvanic anodes as potential environmental tracers for heavy metal emissions from offshore wind structures Reese, A., Voigt, N., Zimmermann, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Chemicals
Highlighting the need to embed circular economy in low carbon infrastructure decommissioning: The case of offshore wind Jensen, P., Purnell, P., Velenturf, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy – Final Islands Communities Impact Assessment Scottish Government Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning
Offshore multi-purpose platforms for a Blue Growth: A technological, environmental and socio-economic review Abhinav, K., Collu, M., Benjamins, S. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Sixth Interim Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summer 2016–Spring 2019 Seasonal Surveys Large Bony Fish and Fish Shoals Final Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Fish
Organic matter assimilation by hard substrate fauna in an offshore wind farm area: a pulse-chase study Mavraki, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Research and Development Opportunities for Offshore Wind Energy in California Sathe, A., Romano, A., Hamilton, B. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
Economic Impact Study of New Offshore Wind Lease Auctions by BOEM Zhang, F., Cohen, M., Barr, A. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Testing and Evaluation of "SafeWind" A Bird Protection System Soni, B., Loske, K., Lackmann, J. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision Bats, Birds
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Fifth Interim Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Comparison of Environmental Effects from Different Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations Horwath, S., Hassrick, J., Grismala, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Reptiles
PivotBuoy An Advanced System for Cost-effective and Reliable Mooring, Connection, Installation & Operation of Floating Wind D6.2: Update of Reliability, Health & Safety and Environmental Assessment of the PivotBuoy system Intecsea Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Chemicals Physical Environment, Water Quality, Human Dimensions
South Fork Wind Farm Atlantic Cod Spawning Survey Gervelis, B., Carey, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish
Hywind Scotland Artificial Substrate Colonisation Survey MMT Sweden Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
Guidelines for Providing Avian Survey Information for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Guidance Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Bats, Birds, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
A Life Cycle Cost Model for Floating Offshore Wind Farms Maienza, C., Avossa, A., Ricciardelli, F. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Life Cycle Assessment, Social & Economic Data
Understanding Potential Effects of West Coast Offshore Renewable Energy Development on Marine Mammals Reeb, D. Presentation Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals
Bringing climate change home to meet your community: stakeholder perceptions of offshore wind energy in Humboldt County, California Emery, C. Thesis Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Engagement
Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm Cable Plan West, A., Whyte, C., Giles, J. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Winter 2018-2019 Taxonomic Analysis Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Winter 2018-2019 Target Extraction Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment Review and Update of Seascape and Visual Buffer study for Offshore Wind farms White, S., Michaels, S., King, H. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Visual Impacts
Strategic Plan to Protect California’s Coast and Ocean 2020–2025 Crowfoot, W., Blumenfeld, J., Yee, B. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Engagement
The global climate value of offshore wind energy Cranmer, A., Baker, E. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Site‐specific life cycle assessment of a pilot floating offshore wind farm based on suppliers’ data and geo‐located wind data Poujol, B., Prieur-Vernat, A., Dubranna, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Life Cycle Assessment
Pan American Marine Energy Conference 2020 Book of Abstracts Rojas M., J., Meza, C. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Ocean Current, OTEC, Salinity Gradient, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Options for biodiversity enhancement in offshore wind farms Bureau Waardenburg bv Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Human Dimensions
Ecological impact of decommissioning offshore wind farms Teunis, M., Collier, M., Bakker, E. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise Bats, Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Draft Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy consultation APS Group Scotland Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Navigation, Recreation & Tourism, Social & Economic Data, Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Impacts
Methodology for modeling and service life monitoring of mooring lines of floating wind turbines Pham, H., Schoefs, F., Cartraud, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Spring 2019 Taxonomic Analysis Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Project Environmental Monitoring Plan: Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Project October 2019 Kincardine Offshore Wind Ltd Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals
Simply Blue Energy 1 Floating Offshore Wind Farm: Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report MarineSpace Ltd Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Spring 2019 Target Extraction Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Offshore flat oyster pilot Luchterduinen wind farm: Results campaign 2 (July 2019) and lessons learned Didderen, K., Bergsma, J., Kamermans, P. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Invertebrates
Wildlife and Wind Farms - Conflicts and Solutions, Volume 4. Offshore: Monitoring and Mitigation Perrow, M. Book Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Noise Bats, Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning

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