Floating Offshore Wind Energy

by speaker Dr. Axelle Viré

According to the European Technology and Innovation Platform on wind energy, the wind energy capacity in the EU could double by 2030, meeting close to 30% of the EU's power demand. To meet this goal, an increase in offshore wind installations is needed with the deployment of offshore wind farms in deep water. Today's commercial technology, namely bottom-mounted foundations, is too expensive for waters deeper than 60 meters, which represents a share of 80% of the oceans worldwide. The International Renewable Energy Agency highlighted floating offshore wind turbines as a potential game-changer to further reduce the levelised cost of energy of offshore wind farms and unlock new markets. 

This talk will explain how floating offshore wind turbines work, what are some of the challenges that still need to be solved for large-scale deployment, and what role can floating wind farms play to speed up the energy transition.