Hywind Tampen, the world’s largest floating wind farm, located off the coast of Norway, has become operational. Of the 11 turbines involved in the project, the first turbine began power production on November 13, with another six scheduled to go online this year.
Although increasing the size of wind turbines is a straightforward way to increase the energy output of these facilities, it also comes with increased costs for constructing these structures. Floating wind farms are being looked at as a possible solution to this problem, and Hywind Tampen is the first real-world test of this kind.
Located 87 miles (140 km) off the coast of Norway, the Hywind Tampen project consists of 11 wind turbines capable of generating 88MW of energy at its peak. The Norwegian power company, Equinor, undertook the project. Its partners and financial support came from Enova, a state enterprise owned by the Ministry of Climate and Environment, and the NOx fund, provided by the business sector.
The turbines are located in waters 853 – 984 feet (260-300 m) deep and installed on floating structures with a joint mooring system. Four of the 11 turbines used in the project have been assembled but will only be installed at the wind farm next year. Even with the seven turbines, the facility has a capacity of 60 MW, making it the world’s largest floating wind farm.
Source: Interesting Engineering