Six miles off the coast of Norway, the Hywind turbine may just hold the key for the future of wind power. Out at a depth of 200m, Hywind cannot be mounted to the seabed, so instead is allowed to float on a steel cylinder, held upright by ballast and a three-point mooring. Since 2010, Hywind has generated 15MWh of energy.
Offshore wind overcomes the NIMBY ("Not In My Back Yard") opposition which so often thwarts onshore wind, and also offers greater average wind-speeds which blow more of the time, but the harsh conditions make it potentially a highly expensive technology to build and maintain. However, with offshore turbines being typically much larger than onshore, direct-drive (gearless) turbines become more favourable, and with fewer parts to go wrong the technology could potentially become financially viable.
The success of Hywind could provide turbine designers with a much larger playground to play with; deeper waters such as the Mediterranean, and off the coasts of countries like Japan and the U.S. suddenly become possible locations for windfarms.
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