Technology

Floating Wind Turbine Technology

Offshore wind has become a key cornerstone of global efforts to decarbonize electricity production. However, efforts to date worldwide have been restricted to areas with relatively shallow water depths (less than 50 meters), with turbines secured to the seabed using large deep-drilled piled foundations. A floating wind turbine is an offshore wind turbine mounted on a floating structure, offering a more flexible solution, easing spatial constraints as it is not limited by seabed depth or conditions.

Floating platforms are an ideal fit for California, where a combination of high wind speeds and near-shore deep water offers an opportunity to demonstrate new floating offshore wind technology at a lower cost than can be achieved elsewhere. In leveraging the existing offshore engineering capability in the California supply chain, CADEMO will create a unique opportunity to establish the region as a world center for the floating offshore wind industry.

CADEMO will use the latest offshore wind turbine technology. The turbines will be visually similar to conventional onshore wind turbines, but they will be taller and with larger blades to produce high generation capacities. Each turbine will be capable of generating 12-15 megawatts (MW) of electricity for a maximum project capacity of up to 60 MW – a deployment that has not yet been made at this scale anywhere in the world.