This GE floating wind turbine concept identifies what could be done to bring wind farms to deeper waters and eliminate the need for extensive installations. The wind turbine would work by floating on top of the water and enabling wind farm setups to be installed beyond regions where water levels are suitable for existing equipment. The turbine would thus feature a mass that's 35% lower than existing floating turbine designs.
Rogier Blom from GE spoke on the GE floating wind turbine concept saying, "With GE’s Haliade-X, the world’s most powerful offshore wind turbine built to date, we’re just beginning to tap into the future promise of offshore wind power in Europe, the US, and other parts of the globe. Today, these fixed-bottom wind turbines are limited to depths of 60 meters (200 ft) or less. With floating turbines, we would be able to dramatically expand the reaches of offshore wind power to areas with water depths of 60 meters or greater.”
Image Credit: GE
What's Driving This Trend
- Floating Wind Turbines
- The trend towards floating wind turbines presents opportunities for companies to develop more efficient designs and construction methods.
- Deepwater Wind Farms
- The trend towards setting up wind farms in deeper waters presents opportunities for companies to develop new technologies that can withstand more challenging environments.
- Offshore Wind Power
- The trend towards offshore wind power presents opportunities for companies to develop more advanced and efficient turbines, installation methods, and power grid systems.
Who This Affects Most
- Renewable Energy
- Renewable energy companies are well positioned to capitalize on the trend towards floating wind turbines and deepwater wind farms.
- Engineering and Construction
- Engineering and construction companies are well positioned to capitalize on the trend towards offshore wind power, by developing more efficient and cost-effective turbine designs and installation methods.
- Power Grid Management
- Power grid management companies are well positioned to capitalize on the trend towards offshore wind power, by developing more advanced grid systems that can handle the decentralized nature of wind turbines located offshore.
