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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: 881

Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Winds of Progress: An In-Depth Exploration of Offshore, Floating, and Onshore Wind Turbines as Cornerstones for Sustainable Energy Generation and Environmental Stewardship Afridi, S. K., Koondhar, M. A., Jamali, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Lighting Bats, Birds, Raptors, Seabirds, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Social & Economic Data, Visual Impacts
Future Framework for Offshore Renewable Energy Policy Statement 2024 Department of Environment Climate and Communications Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
D2.1 Analysis of social and environmental barriers and enablers Miquel, S., Martinez, A., Juan, R. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
SEABIRD: System for Environmental Assessment of Bird/Bat Interactions with Real-time Detection Chang, G., Chevitarese, M., Kramer, S. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision Bats, Birds
Offshore Energy Development in Poland: Social and Economic Dimensions Chomác-Pierzecka, E. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Social & Economic Data, Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Impacts
Autonomous thermal tracking reveals spatiotemporal patterns of seabird activity relevant to interactions with floating offshore wind facilities Schneider, S., Kramer, S., Bernstein, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Collision Birds
Monitorización de murciélagos en una plataforma eólica marina flotante en España: DemoSATH Eggers Ruiz, L., Ugena Ispizua, A., Vélez Jiménez, N. Presentation Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries
Monitorización de aves en DemoSATH LAB Ugena Ispizua, A., Del Real Tuñón, J., Eggers Ruiz, L. Presentation Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Seabirds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
ADN ambiental en la EIA de eólica marina: DemoSATH Vélez Jiménez, N., Ugena Ispizua, A., Eggers Ruiz, L. Presentation Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Power BI para la EIA y la monitorización ambiental Del Real Tuñón, J., Notary García, J., Ugena Ispizua, A. Presentation Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Seabirds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Mapping the Way Forward: Spatial Data Inventory and Insights for Marine Planning in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina Wright, J., Wright, M., Wilson, R. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Bats, Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning
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
Offshore Wind Facts: Jobs and Workforce Development Special Initiative on Offshore Wind Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Offshore Wind Facts: Coastal and Marine Habitats Special Initiative on Offshore Wind Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
Offshore Wind Facts: Birds and Bats Special Initiative on Offshore Wind Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Lighting, Noise Bats, Birds
Primary vs grey: A critical evaluation of literature sources used to assess the impacts of offshore wind farms Szostek, C., Edwards-Jones, A., Beaumont, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Collision, Habitat Change, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions
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
Floating Offshore Wind: an example of Environmental Management Plan focused on protecting and promoting biodiversity, and fishing resources Ugena Ispizua, A., Del Real Tuñón, J., Eggers Ruiz, L. Presentation Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Seabirds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Stakeholder Engagement
Suivi par acoustique passive du bruit ambiant et de la fréquentation des mammifères marins dans le cadre de la construction du parc éolien flottant Provence Grand Large (PGL) – Etat de référence Bellanger, J., Chompret, J., Clorennec, D. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
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 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
Decommissioning Cost in Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of Floating Wind Turbines Yildiz, N., Hemida, H., Baniotopoulos, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Life Cycle Assessment, Social & Economic Data
Sustainable siting of offshore wind farms Gleka-Serpetsidaki, P. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning, Social & Economic Data, Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Impacts
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
Offshore Wind Technologies for Chile: Perspectives and Challenges Tampier Brockhaus, G., Cifuentes Salazar, C. , Aziares Salazar, N. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Visual Impacts
Towards sustainable decommissioning: The importance of lifespan extension and standardisation Natuur & Milieu Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change
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
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
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
Floating Offshore Wind Dynamic Cables: Overview of Design and Risks Marcollo, H., Efthimiou, L. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
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
Provence Grand Large – Paving the Way to Commercial Floating Wind Projects de Ligny, F. Presentation Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind
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

Displaying 281 - 320 of 881 results