Offshore Wind Farms: Pros and Cons
energycioinsights

Offshore Wind Farms: Pros and Cons

Energy CIO Insights | Monday, June 07, 2021

Any offshore wind farm, as technology operates, has to be situated in very shallow water. This is because the turbines can only be installed at a depth of between 60 and 90 feet.

FREMONT, CA: Wind power is one of the world's primary untapped electricity sources. With wind turbines and wind farms popping up worldwide, there is only one place where winds are abundant but where the world has yet to make complete strides. The ocean is an excellent location for wind power harvesting, but it has only become popular recently.

Every year, the need for large quantities of electricity without depleting too much of the earth's natural resources increases, so the search for more sources of power is ongoing. That is where offshore wind farms come into play. While there is still a bit of interest in most areas, an increasing number of them are turning up on countries' shores across the globe. So, how do wind shore farms help to generate the energy needed?

Why Put Wind Turbines in the Sea

Oceans and seas are the right spots for wind turbines. They are in an area where it is almost always windy. On the surface of the sea, there is nearly nothing to obstruct or slow down the storm. There are no trees, no hills, no houses. The wind can spin the turbines at high speed and reliably, and these turbines can be used to fuel the generator and generate electricity.

Any offshore wind farm, as technology operates, has to be situated in very shallow water. This is because the turbines can only be installed at a depth of between 60 and 90 feet. If they go much deeper, it becomes difficult to put the poles up that hold the turbines. However, new turbines are being deployed at greater depths to extend them to more than 200 meters.

A small number of factors restricts the areas where offshore wind farms can be built. In addition to the sea's depth, engineers must take caution to prevent the regions used for bird sailing. They ought to pay attention to shipyards and waste sites. Other than those considerations, though, the boundaries are just depth and ingenuity.

Weekly Brief

Read Also