A Norwegian Oil Company Will Build Largest Floating Wind Farm Off the Coast of Scotland

Statoil, the Norwegian-based oil and gas company, received approval from the United Kingdom’s Crown Estate to build five floating wind turbines in 100 meters of water 8-12 miles off the coast of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.  Combined, they will generate 30 megawatts of energy, and the planned hub will be the largest in Europe.

Offshore wind is big in Europe, but turbines are limited to shallow waters (around 60 meters) because the pylons that support them have to be blasted into the seabed. Floating turbines, however, just require a few cables to keep the floating shaft in one spot, and they can be installed in water as deep at 700 meters (0.4 miles).

The United States’ first floating wind turbine works off the coast of Castine, Maine.  With Statoil’s decision to pull its $120 million dollar project from consideration in Maine in late October 2013, the future of offshore wind production in the state now lies primarily in the hands of the University of Maine.

A Norwegian Oil Company Will Build Largest Floating Wind Farm Off the Coast of Scotland