By Colin Payne / Source: Inhabitat

Offshore wind power is booming in Europe. And when it’s completed, the Hywind project will be the largest floating wind farm development in the world, producing enough power to light up nearly 20,000 homes. Owned by Norway’s Statoil, Hywind just got its marine license from the Scottish government – giving it the go-ahead for installation about 25 kilometers off the coast of Peterhead, Scotland. The pilot project proposed by Statoil will feature five floating turbines capable of producing 6 Megawatts each, for a total annual generating capacity of 135 Gigawatt hours.

According to Blue and Green Tomorrow, what makes the project even more interesting is the turbine technology being used. The turbines used in Hywind will be attached to the ocean floor using a three-point mooring system, and connected by an “inter-array” of cables with an export cable that sends the electricity generated to the shore at Peterhead.

“Hywind is a hugely exciting project – in terms of electricity generation and technology innovation – and it’s a real testament to our energy sector expertise and skilled workforce that Statoil chose Scotland for the world’s largest floating wind farm.” said Scottish Deputy First Minister, John Swinney.

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“The momentum is building around the potential for floating offshore wind technology to unlock deeper water sites. The ability to leverage existing infrastructure and supply chain capabilities from the offshore oil and gas industry create the ideal conditions to position Scotland as a world leader in floating energy technology.”

WWF Scotland director, Lang Banks added that developing floating wind turbines will help secure Scotland’s clean energy future. “With the right political support for offshore and other renewable technologies, Scotland is well-placed to become the EU’s first renewable electricity nation by 2030.”

Read more @ Inhabitat