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

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: 752

Searches title and abstract.
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Offshore Wind Facts: Property Values and Visual Impacts Special Initiative on Offshore Wind Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Recreation & Tourism, Visual Impacts
Offshore Wind Facts: Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles Special Initiative on Offshore Wind Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Using Available Data and Information to Identify Offshore Wind Energy Areas Off the California Coast [2024] Rockwood, R., Salas, L., Howar, J. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Wozep Ecological Programme: Knowledge day Wozep/MONS 2024 Offshore Wind Ecological Programme (Wozep) Presentation Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
Observational and Modeling Approaches for Assessing Impacts of Offshore Wind Development on California Current Upwelling: Workshop Summary Kojima, A., Kilpatrick, T., Jacox, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow Ecosystem Processes
Towards sustainable decommissioning: The importance of lifespan extension and standardisation Natuur & Milieu Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change
The global impact of offshore wind farms on ecosystem services Watson, S., Somerfield, P., Lemasson, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Conditions for nature friendly and circular decommissioning Natuur & Milieu Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
State of the Art of Climate Change Impacts on Offshore Wind Poppeschi, C., Patra, A., Kervella, Y. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
What are the potential effects of offshore wind farms on coastal fish and their essential habitats? Henry, S., Couturier, L., Darnaude, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Chemicals, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Fish
Planet Wind Documentary Evans, A. Video Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
A Numerical Modeling Framework to Evaluate Effects of Offshore Wind Farms on California’s Coastal Upwelling Ecosystem Raghukumar, K., Nelson, T., Chang, G. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow Physical Environment
Geese migrating over the Pacific Ocean select altitudes coinciding with offshore wind turbine blades Weiser, E., Overton, C., Douglas, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Waterfowl
A Wind Energy Area Siting Analysis For The Oregon Call Areas Carlton, J. , Jossart, J., Pendleton, F. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Bats, Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Observations of harbour porpoises in offshore wind farms Final report Leemans, J., Fijn, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Follow-up fishery survey in the Hywind Tampen offshore wind power field during construction and early operation Tenningen, M, McQueen, K., Mørk, H. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Fish, Demersal Fish, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
A synthesis of socioeconomic and sociocultural indicators for assessing the impacts of offshore renewable energy on fishery participants and fishing communities Willis-Norton, E., Mangin, T., Schroeder, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Displacement Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Social & Economic Data
NextWind: Advancing Wind Energy Technology Using Real-Time Monitoring Systems in a Digital Twin Application Siddiqi, K., Kramer, S., Schneider, S. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, EMF, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Avian Monitoring with CCTV Cameras on Floating Wind Turbines Spoor, Equinor Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Noise Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Human Dimensions, Visual Impacts
Life cycle carbon footprint accounting of an offshore wind farm in Southeast China—Simplified models and carbon benchmarks for typhoons Sun, Z., You, X. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Life Cycle Assessment, Stakeholder Engagement
Assessing areas suitable for offshore wind energy considering potential risk to breeding seabirds in northern Japan Obane, H., Kazama, K., Hashimoto, H. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Seabirds
BOEM and NOAA North Atlantic Right Whale and Offshore Wind Strategy BOEM Office of Renewable Energy Programs, US Department of Commerce (DOC), NOAA Fisheries Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Floating Offshore Wind and Colocation and Coexistence Risks and Opportunities Whaley, C., Greig, C., Eatough, L. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Engagement
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Screening Report Fehily Timoney and Company, Mace Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Legal & Policy
Passive acoustic monitoring for assessing marine mammals population in European waters: Workshop conclusions and perspectives Michel, M., Guichard, B., Béesau, J. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Can floating offshore wind farms pose a risk of entanglement and injury to marine megafauna? Henry, S., Heerah, K., Jung, J-L. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Entanglement
An Eulerian perspective on habitat models of striped bass occurrence in an offshore wind development area Rothermel, E., O'Brien, M., Best, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Displacement Fish, Pelagic Fish
Using fisheries-dependent data to investigate landings of European lobster (Homarus gammarus) within an offshore wind farm Thatcher, H., Stamp, T., Moore, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Floating Offshore Wind: Overcoming Seafloor Challenges Rebuck, N., Doolittle, D., Jones, C. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind
Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme: Annual Report 2023 The Crown Estate Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Legal & Policy
Appropriate Assessment Screening Report For The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Future Framework Policy Statement Fehily Timoney and Company, Mace Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
DMEC Market Report 2023/2024: Innovative Offshore Renewable Energy Technologies in DMEC's Portfolio Dutch Marine Energy Centre Report Marine Energy, OTEC, Salinity Gradient, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data, Stakeholder Engagement
The effect of offshore wind farms on the variation of the phytoplankton population Kordan, M., Yakan, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Stakeholder insights into embedding marine net gain for offshore wind farm planning and delivery Edwards-Jones, A., Watson, S.C.L., Szostek, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Engagement
Overlap between the Mid-Atlantic Bight Cold Pool and offshore wind lease areas Horwitz, R., Miles, T., Munroe, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
A synthesis review of nature positive approaches and coexistence in the offshore wind industry Pardo, J., Aune, M., Harman, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning
NOW-23: The 2023 National Offshore Wind Data Set Bodini, N., Redfern, S., Rybchuk, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Grand Challenges Revisited: Wind Energy Research Needs for a Global Energy Transition Veers, P., Dykes, K., Baranowski, R. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Noise Bats, Birds, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data, Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Impacts
Recommendations for Evaluating the Use of Existing Baseline Observational Survey Data for Birds in Offshore Wind Site Characterization Processes for the U.S. Atlantic Avian Displacement Guidance Committee Guidance Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Birds
Whispers in the Wind: Ethical dimensions of social conflict in offshore wind Oliveira, R. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
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