Floating Wind Farm

The Poseidon 37 is a floating wind farm under construction by the Danish company Floating Power Plant. It will generate 40 to 50 gigawatt hours of energy a year. The facility will be about 230 meters long and weigh over 30,000 tons, making it sturdy enough to withstand the roughest seas. The final product will also be able to acquire energy from turbines powered by the ocean’s waves:

Topping a wave system with wind turbines takes out some of the risk. Offshore turbines are a proven, stable technology. Thus, even if the wave generators don’t produce as much energy as planned, at least the investors will see revenue from wind energy. In a sense, this model could be viewed as an offshore wind turbine with wave energy thrown in as a bonus.

The risk is further diminished by the design of the wave power platform. It’s big. The company borrowed heavily from the engineering techniques behind the floating platforms that have been built by the oil industry for years. The platform’s sheer size insulates it from hazards posed by rogue waves and 100-year storms.

Link via Gizmodo | Image: Floating Power Plant