World’s first floating wind turbine installed

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World’s first floating wind turbine installed

By MB-BigB | June 13, 2009

Hywind floating turbine being towed out to sea

The world’s first floating wind turbine has been installed by StatoilHydro and Siemens off the coast of Karmoy, Norway, and testing of the new turbine is about to begin. The floating turbine, which is anchored to the sea floor about 700 feet below, consists of a steel jacket with a floating ballast for stability. The ballast itself extends 300 feet below the surface, where its fastened to the sea floor with anchor wires. Electricity will flow thru cables extending to shore. This test turbine, a 2.3 MW Hywind, is expected to start producing electricity in mid – July.