Offshore wind is becoming an increasingly important part of the world’s renewable energy portfolio–with countries such as China, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States investing heavily in their development.
Newer designs, however, allow for windmills to float on the ocean’s surface. They are tethered to the seabed with cables–making for a less invasive construction phase. Not only is this design potentially better for the surrounding aquatic environment, it allows for windmills to be placed in deeper water–opening up new siting opportunities further from the coast and in areas where wind speeds may be higher.
For one, much of the construction of floating windmills can be done on land. This reduces the need for construction vessels to ferry back and forth between land and sea during the construction phase. Floating windmills can also be installed in a relatively short amount of time compared to fixed-foundation turbines.
Floating windmills obviates this problem. “Pile-driving base components for any marine structure, including fixed turbine foundations, results in significant noise levels harmful to marine life,” state the researchers. “In most instances, floating offshore wind turbines do not require pile driving, thus removing that impact entirely.”