Energy

World’s First Floating Wind Farm Erected Off Scotland’s Coast

REUTERS/Phil Noble

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Tim Pearce Energy Reporter
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The world’s first full scale floating wind farm is being built off Scotland’s northeast coast, BBC reported Sunday.

The Peterhead wind farm is a trial project that will be composed of five floating turbines powering 20,000 homes, according to BBC.

“[The wind farm] is a tech development project to ensure it’s working in open sea conditions. It’s a game-changer for floating wind power and we are sure it will help bring costs down,” project director Leif Delp said according to BBC.

A Norwegian company that specializes in carbon-based energy sources is constructing the wind farm, according to the Guardian.

The company, Statoil, is looking to move away from fossil fuels and into the renewables market through wind energy, relying on government subsidies to do so. Statoil officials believe floating wind farms will eventually be built without government assistance, however, after the technology becomes more widespread and increased production brings costs down.

“I think eventually we will see floating wind farms compete without subsidy – but to do that we need to get building at scale,” Delp said according to BBC.

The project will cost £200 million, or about $303 million, the Guardian reported in 2016.

While the Peterhead wind farm will always be the first full scale wind farm to be operational, it won’t remain the largest. Another floating wind farm under construction off the coast of England will power 800,000 homes with 240 turbines, according to the project summary.

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