How do we stop wind turbines the size of skyscrapers from drifting away?

Growing demand for cleaner energy sources means offshore wind farms are being built all over the world. More than 5,000 turbines must be installed each year until 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5℃. But in certain regions it is difficult to build wind turbines directly on the seafloor due to congestion in shallow coastal waters from shipping lanes, fishing activities, marine protected areas, tourism and existing energy infrastructure, and in some places due to the steep drop-off of the continental shelf. As a result, much of the needed new offshore wind capacity will have to be located in deeper waters- that requires floating offshore wind technology.

In a recent article for The Conversation, Benjamin Cerfontaine and Susan Gourvenec explain “How we stop wind turbines the size of skyscrapers from drifting away” . Different types of floating wind architecture are set out, alongside different options for securing these huge floating structures to the seafloor to keep them in place and stable.