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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
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 Summer 2017 Target Extraction 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 Summary of Fall 2017 Digital Survey #6 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 Summer 2017 Taxonomic Analysis Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Hywind Scotland Pilot Park Project Plan for Construction Activities 2017 Statoil Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Life Cycle Assessment of a multi-use offshore platform: Combining wind and wave energy production Elginoz, N., Bas, B. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wave, Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Life Cycle Assessment
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Spring 2017 Target Extraction 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 Spring 2017 Taxonomic Analysis Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Marine Spatial Plan for Washington’s Pacific Coast Bates, E., Gianou, K., Hennessey, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning, Stakeholder Engagement
Hywind Scotland Pilot Park Siemens Gamesa Project Site Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind
Northeast Offshore Wind Regional Market Characterization: A Report for the Roadmap Project for Multi-State Cooperation on Offshore Wind Grace, R., Shoesmith, J., Donovan, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Winter 2017 Target Extraction 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 Winter 2017 Taxonomic Analysis Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Performance test and verification of an off-the-shelf automated avian radar tracking system May, R., Steinheim, Y., Kvaløy, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision Bats, Birds
Wind Turbines for the Power Supply for Offshore Fish Farms: A Case Study for the Norwegian West Coast Justad, A. Thesis Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summary of Spring 2017 Digital Survey #4 Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Review and analysis of tracking data to delineate flight characteristics and migration routes of birds over the Southern North Sea Gyimesi, A., Evans, T., Linnebjerg, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Passerines, Seabirds, Shorebirds, Waterfowl
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summary of Winter 2017 Digital Survey #3 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 2016 Taxonomic Analysis Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Impact on seabirds of new offshore wind energy test and demonstration projects in the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP, N. Spain) Bald, J., Franco, J., Menchaca, I. Presentation Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Seabirds
Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Section 36 consent Decision Letter and Conditions Marine Scotland Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
An Assessment of the Economic Potential of Offshore Wind in the United States from 2015 to 2030 Beiter, P., Musial, W., Kilcher, L. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Fall 2016 Target Extraction Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Effects Matrix for Evaluating Potential Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy Development on U.S. Atlantic Coastal Habitats Latham, P., Fiore, W., Bauman, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles, Human Dimensions
Geophysical and Geotechnical Investigation Methodology Assessment for Siting Renewable Energy Facilities on the Atlantic OCS Fugro Marine GeoServices Inc. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
New England Aqua Ventus I - Proposed Project Description and Modification 001 US Department of Energy (DOE) Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summary of Summer 2017 Digital Survey #5 Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
NEW YORK OCEAN ACTION PLAN 2017-2027 Abercrombie, D., Chytalo, K. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment
Updated Seal Usage Maps: The Estimated at-sea Distribution of Grey and Harbour Seals Russell, D., Jones, E., Morris, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals
Oregon OCS Seafloor Mapping: Selected Lease Blocks Relevant to Renewable Energy Cochrane, G., Hemery, L., Henkel, S. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Physical Environment
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summer 2016 Taxonomic Analysis Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Environmental and Consenting Barriers to Developing Floating Wind Farms Including Innovative Solutions Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind
Offshore wind energy ecological programme (Wozep) Monitoring and research programme 2017-2021 Offshore Wind Ecological Programme (Wozep) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment
Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summary of Fall 2016 Digital Survey #2 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 Summer 2016 Target Extraction Summary Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
National Offshore Wind Strategy: Facilitating the Development of the Offshore Wind Industry in the United States Gilman, P., Maurer, B., Feinberg, L. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind

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