Norwegians Float a Breezy New Concept

Wind still provides more bang for the buck than solar, but finding space for the giant windmills is another challenge altogether.  Engineers from Norwegian energy company StatoilHydro have found an ingenious solution: float the turbines offshore.

The company just unleashed the world's first large-scale floating wind turbine about a two-hour boat ride from the Norwegian coastal town of Stavanger. They got their start constructing offshore oil platforms but envision a future where wind power can be generated far offshore, away from busy ports and out of sight.

Dubbed "Hywind," the floating wind turbine project also has the financial backing -- nearly $10 million -- of the Norwegian government. So far it has proven itself to be quite stable, but project manager Sjur Bratland is not taking any chances, as reported by BBC News:

"He wants to see for himself that the turbine can cope with winter storms that whip the North Sea into a froth and winds that rip roofs off houses. And he wants to be sure that the supply industries can deliver the right turbines, supply ships and so on."

To keep the roughly 325-foot, carbon-steel turbine steady in the unforgiving sea, an equally long underwater component weighing more than 3,000 tons serves as a ballast, which is anchored to the sea floor. According to the BBC article, the mooring lines can hold a floating windmill at a depth of as much as 2,300 feet.

If it withstands the torrential winter storms, we may start getting more clean, renewable energy from floating offshore platforms. Ever heard of a "wind spill"? Me neither.

Photo by Øyvind Hagen, courtesy of StatoilHydro