The Hywind Wind Farm, located about 30 kilometers off the Scottish coast, will be the world's first floating wind farm. Its primary purpose is to generate energy from offshore winds in areas more than 100 meters deep, with minimal environmental impact.
The 30-MW facility will consist of 5 cylindrical steel structures secured to the seabed at three anchor points. Each one weighs 3,500 metric tons and a 14.5 meters in diameter. They will be submerged in seawater at a depth of about 90 meters, and their design will allow them to withstand strong winds and waves. In addition, each structure will be equipped with a 6-MW turbine with a rotor about 150 meters in diameter.
This technology has been undergoing testing since 2009 off the coast of Norway, where a floating turbine was installed and is yielding very good results.
The Construction of Hywind Park It could begin late this year, and it is estimated that it will take about 400,000 hours of work, with installation scheduled for completion by February 2017. The goal is also to demonstrate the profitability of floating wind farm projects when they are located in areas with optimal conditions, with a view to installing them in other parts of the world.
