Floating Wind Power News: Surprising Positive Habitat Impacts, New Structure Design Lowers Turbine Costs by 40%, and China’s Very Large Floating Wind Platform

   

      Fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines are limited to about 60 meters, or 200-feet water depths, which are closer to shore. However, stronger and more consistent winds are more common further offshore, where water depths are much greater. There, floating wind is the technology that works best.

 

Floating Wind Farm Offshore Portugal Found to Have No Ill Effects on Biodiversity and Some Positive Effects

     A floating wind farm 11 miles offshore Portugal, the WindFloat Atlantic project, was the site of a study of its effects on biodiversity. The study concluded that the wind farm had little to no effect on plankton communities or the wider ecosystem. The site even had some positive effects on species abundance, namely fish, octopus, and sole, apparently by improving the substrate of the sea floor. This attracted species like mussels, barnacles, and kelp. The other species were attracted as predators. Apparently, the vibrations of the sea lines that connect the anchors that keep the turbines in place attract the substrate species, creating a reef-like effect.

 

New Design Structure Found to Cut Floating Wind Costs by 40%

     Researchers at the University of Queensland have cut floating wind turbine costs by 40% with a new floating wind design structure. They used a geometry-based approach and tested the design through deep ocean and extreme weather simulations. Floating wind currently costs two to three times more per kilowatt-hour than fixed-bottom offshore wind. The researchers utilized conventional marine construction materials, which are cheaper, easier to source, and familiar to the existing marine industry. The new design is expected to work in water depths of 200 meters.

     According to Interesting Engineering:

“The second key innovation is internal stabilization. Features built into the structure lower its center of gravity. A lower center of gravity makes the platform more resistant to rolling and pitching from ocean waves.”

“The practical effect is that the wind tower stays vertical even in strong winds. Most floating platforms allow some degree of tilt, which reduces how efficiently the turbine captures energy. A vertical tower keeps the blades facing directly into the wind.”

“We also used internal stabilisation features to lower its centre of gravity to make it more stable,” Zhao said. “These features mean it is possible to keep the wind tower vertical even under strong wind conditions, increasing the efficiency of power generation.”

“The design also requires less maintenance and is expected to last longer than existing structures. Simulations confirmed it can survive a one-in-100-year storm event.”

     The engineers say that the design is ready to be scaled up to larger turbines and that they are continuing to refine it with further improvements.

 

China Deploys World’s Largest Single-Unit Operational Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

     China’s Three Gorges Corporation (CGT) recently deployed the Sanxia Linghang, or Three Gorges Pilot, which has been described as the world's largest single-unit operational floating offshore wind turbine, by both capacity and rotor diameter. It is a 16MW turbine with an 830-ft rotor diameter and a blade-tip height of more than 885 feet above the water. It floats on a platform in water 164 ft deep.

     According to BGR:

“CTG developed a new mooring system, with the 79,000-square-foot floating platform held in place using nine suction anchors and an automatic ballast system for stability. To transfer the generated power to land, the setup uses a 66-kilovolt dynamic cable that's designed to withstand extreme temperatures, wave movement, saltwater corrosion, and mechanical stress, among other challenges.”

     Floating wind farm design with larger turbines could reduce costs by reducing the number of turbines and associated components required per unit of energy. However, BGR also notes some potential caveats to the new, larger turbine design:

“It's important to note, however, that various challenges come with these larger, floating turbines. They are, for example, harder to transport and install, not only because of their size but also because working in deep water is more precarious. Additionally, if one of these turbines fails, a lot of capacity is wiped out in one go. Technical issues with smaller turbines are less likely to disable all of them at once, so electricity can continue be produced.”

 

References:

 

A floating wind farm in Portugal is having a surprising impact on underwater habitats. Sead Fadilpasic. BGR. August 1, 2026. A floating wind farm in Portugal is having a surprising impact on underwater habitats

Researchers cut floating wind costs 40 percent just by using basic geometry. Munis Raza. Interesting Engineering. July 31, 2026. Researchers cut floating wind costs 40 percent just by using basic geometry

China's New Offshore Wind Farm Is A Gamechanger For Clean Energy. Trevor Mogg. BGR. June 4, 2026. China's New Offshore Wind Farm Is A Gamechanger For Clean Energy

Biodiversity at the WindFloat Atlantic, Viana do Castelo, Portugal: Non-Technical Summary. March 2026. Estudo-biodiversidade-WFA-2026.pdf