The Pillars of Energy Transition

15 kilometers off the coast of Aberdeenshire in Scotland, six gigantic wind turbines tower above the ocean. The 50 megawatt Kincardine wind park is the largest floating offshore wind park in the world. Every year, this plant generates 200 million kilowatts of electricity – enough to supply up to 35,000 Scottish households with energy. Unlike traditional offshore facilities, Kincardine is not securely anchored to the ocean floor as the ocean depth of 80 meters exceeds the maximum depth of 60 meters for firmly installed plants. The wind park was instead installed on semi-submersible WindFloat platforms and is now delivering its energy while afloat. A clever solution that is gathering considerable steam in order to harness hitherto inaccessible areas of ocean. However, these smart counterparts cannot compete with permanently installed wind farms: the currently largest offshore wind park in the world is Hornsea One. Located off the East Coast of England, it generates a total of 1,218 megawatts.