Siemens

Novel anchoring method enables the utilization of offshore wind energy in deep water

The world’s first floating wind energy plant in the megawatt category is located some twelve kilometers southeast of the Norwegian island Karmøy. Anchored in 220 meters deep water, the plant is set to provide environmentally friendly power with a capacity of 2.3 megawatts and a rotor diameter of 82 meters.

In contrast to conventional offshore plants, this facility is not anchored directly to the ocean floor. The Hywind concept, developed by the Norwegian enterprise StatoilHydro, consists of a steel float filled with ballast. This floating element reaches up to 100 meters under the water surface and is connected to the ocean floor with three anchor wires. A specially developed control system enables the plant to compensate for wave-induced movement of the floating foundation.

During test operation in the coming two years, the developers Siemens and StatoilHydro seek to collect data for comprehensive analysis of the innovative concept. The advantage over conventional methods using a fixed foundation is the cost: At depths over 30 to 50 meters, the cost of a fixed foundation rises radically. Floating foundations, by contrast, can be employed at depths of 120 to 700 meters. This would enable the utilization of offshore wind energy even in countries with little or no shallow water zones near their coasts.

Source: Siemens

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