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News and Trends
WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR TURBINE For offshore wind, building in relatively shallow water close to shore has often been the only choice. This raises concerns in some sectors that wind turbines pollute the view shed along the coast.
A floating wind farm could be the answer. Based on the technology of oil and gas platforms, floating wind farms are designed in one of two ways—a tension-leg platform held in place by chains anchored in the seabed or a buoy-like platform that does not require anchors. Dutch company Blue H, which designed the tension-leg platform model, is now building its first commercial unit for an offshore wind farm off the coast of Puglia in Southern Italy. In January 2007 Blue H obtained the final authorizations to install its large scale prototype in the water and now has applied for the required authorizations to build a 90-megawatt wind energy park in the same area, 12 miles from the coast in waters 330-400 feet deep.
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