![floating foundation wind turbine floating foundation wind turbine](https://d3i71xaburhd42.cloudfront.net/d2660f57d776e33e05d4e7d0511184babfd91459/2-Figure3-1.png)
In October 2021, the UK government committed £160 million to support FOW development off the coasts of Scotland and Wales. Full-scale commercial projects of 1GW and above are anticipated post-2030. The UK currently has two operating FOW pilot projects: Equinor's 30MW Hywind Scotland project, the world’s first floating wind farm located 29km off the coast of Peterhead and the 50MW Kincardine project, 15km off the coast of Aberdeen, developed by Kincardine Offshore Wind (KOWL).įollowing the success of these projects, further UK pilots are planned and the first large-scale 100-300MW+ commercial projects are expected to come online within the next 5-10 years. Unconstrained by depth or coastal topography, floating wind turbines can go beyond the limits of traditional bottom-fixed offshore wind farms, opening up huge market potential.ĭriven by their climate policy objectives and geographical opportunities, the UK, Ireland and continental Europe are setting out to be among the leaders in FOW. Floating offshore wind (FOW) promises to deliver affordable clean energy at significant scale.