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: 779

Searches title and abstract.
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Case studies to support scenario mapping for offshore renewable energy development economic benefits BVG Associates Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Using Industry Data for UK Marine Assessment and Reporting (Scoping Report) Baldwin, H. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
Update on NREL’s 2020 Offshore Wind Resource Assessment for the California Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Bodini, N., Rybchuk, A., Optis, M. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind
Dominant Frequency Extraction for Operational Underwater Sound of Offshore Wind Turbines Using Adaptive Stochastic Resonance Wang, R., Xu, X., Zou, Z. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise Fish, Physical Environment
Case Study: Marine environmental data monitoring for nature friendly offshore wind Offshore Coalition For Energy & Nature (OCEaN) Report Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Do people prefer offshore to onshore wind energy? The role of ownership and intended use Linnerud, K., Dugstad, A., Rygg, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Marine birds: vision-based wind turbine collision mitigation Martin, G. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision Birds
10 Recommendations: How to improve Maritime Spatial Planning to reach European climate, energy and biodiversity targets Offshore Coalition For Energy & Nature (OCEaN) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Mapping potential environmental impacts of offshore renewable energy Galparsoro, I., Menchaca, I., Seeger, I. Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Ecosystem Processes, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Mitigating Negative Impacts of Marine Renewable Energy on Biodiversity: The Role of International Environmental Law Marauhn, T., Böhringer, A-M., Jaś-Nowopolska, M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
Environmental Effects of U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Development: Compilation of Educational Research Briefs Green, R., Hein, C., Oteri, F. Summary Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles
International assessment of priority environmental issues for land-based and offshore wind energy development Green, R., Gill, E., Hein, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment
Windfarms, fishing and benthic recovery: Overlaps, risks and opportunities Dunkley, F., Solandt, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
To study the effect on marine ecosystems of noise emitted by offshore wind farms during construction and operation phases, is it relevant to focus on a few species? Henry, S., Ceyrac, L., Le Courtois, F. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Noise
Assessment of compensatory measures for impacts of offshore windfarms on seabirds McGregor, R., Trinder, M., Goodship, N. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Seabirds, Human Dimensions
Vulnerability of pelagic seabirds to the introduction of offshore renewable energy infrastructure off the Irish coast Murphy, E., Jessopp, M. Research Study Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds
Assessing the potential for offshore infrastructure as platforms for environmental monitoring Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
Can the development of offshore renewable energy projects and their shore connection have an effect on the evolution of the coastline? Henry, S., Cartier, A., Duperrent, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
Boosting offshore wind skills for environmental professions Munro, P., Elliot, M., Mazik, K. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
Spatial assessment of benthic compensatory habitats for offshore wind farm impacts Ward, O., Aberson, M., Kirby, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Human Dimensions
Future environmental scenarios for offshore wind expansion Still, D., Pacitto, S., Miller, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind
Powering Healthy Seas: Accelerating Nature Positive Offshore Wind Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning
Environmental DNA monitoring of pelagic fish fauna at the Hywind Scotland floating wind energy installation – A pilot study Ray, J., Hestetun, J., Mugu, S. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Fish, Human Dimensions
Chasing the offshore wind farm wind-wake-induced upwelling/downwelling dipole Floeter, J., Pohlmann, T., Harmer, A Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Environmental Impact Assessment and Life Cycle Assessment for a Deep Water Floating Offshore Wind Turbine on the Brazilian Continental Shelf de Paula, L., Carmo, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Life Cycle Assessment
Spatial Modeling to Support Sustainable Offshore Wind Energy Development for California Degagne, R., Gough, M., Joseph, G. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Identifying the Potential of Floating Artificial Benthic Ecosystems to Underpin Offshore Development Komyakova, V., Wright, B., Frusher, S. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates
Offshore Wind Priority Conflict Topics for Marine Mammals and Birds Courbis, S., Pacini, A., Williams, K. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind EMF, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds, Shorebirds, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds
Development of a Novel Physiology Tag to Measure Oxygen Consumption in Free-Ranging Seabirds McKnight, C., Bogdanova, M., Butler, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Displacement Birds, Seabirds
Good Practice Guidance for assessing fisheries displacement by other licensed marine activities: Literature Review Xodus Group Report Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Displacement Fish, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Legal & Policy
Study to examine the feasibility of extending SeabORD to the entire breeding season Searle, K., Jones, E.L., Bogdanova, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Seabirds
Electromagnetic Field Effects on Marine Life Severy, M., Oteri, F., Hein, C. Summary Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind EMF Fish, Invertebrates
Review of fish and fisheries research to inform ScotMER evidence gaps and future strategic research in the UK Xoubanova, S., Lawrence, Z. Report Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Noise Fish, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Stakeholder Engagement
Environmental Compatibility of the Parc Tramuntana Offshore Wind Project in Relation to Marine Ecosystems Diez-Caballero, K., Troiteiro, S., Garcia-Alba, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
A two way Conversation with the People of Scotland on the Social Impact of Offshore Renewables Orr, P., Twigger-Ross, C., Phillips, P. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Floating Offshore Wind: Environmental Interactions Roadmap: Public Summary Report ORE Catapult, Xodus Group Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Navigation
Unravelling the ecological impacts of large-scale offshore wind farms in the Mediterranean Sea Lloret, J., Turiel, A., Solé, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Physical Environment, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning, Recreation & Tourism
An ecosystem-based natural capital evaluation framework that combines environmental and socio-economic implications of offshore renewable energy developments Trifonova, N., Scott, B., Griffin, R. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Ecosystem Processes, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning
Measurement and Modelling of Underwater Acoustic Noise induced by Offshore Wind Turbines under the Effects of Varying Oceanic and Sea-State Conditions Konow, T. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Marine Mammals
Effect of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines on Atmospheric Circulation in California Raghukumar, K., Chartrand, C., Chang, G. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment
Displaying 361 - 400 of 779 results