The largest floating wind farm in the world

The world’s largest floating wind farm is to be built on the east coast of Scotland, after the contract was awarded to Norwegian energy company Statoil on Monday 16 May, reports The Guardian. Situated 25 kilometers offshore in the North Sea, the park will consist of five 6-megawatt turbines, and is expected to generate electricity by the end of 2017. The Hywind are part of the forefront of a technological race to develop floating turbines that can conquer the deepest oceans, thus avoiding the high costs of current wind turbines installed on the seabed using cement and steel.

More than 90% of the offshore wind capacity is installed in Northern Europe, and the United Kingdom stands out especially for its largest share. However, the growth rate in Germany is higher, and there are important projects in Japan, China and the US. Offshore wind energy accounts for 3% of global wind energy production, as most of the turbines are installed on land , with the visual impact that it entails.