StatoilHydro and Siemens have installed the world’s first large-scale floating wind turbine. The turbine is located approximately 12km southeast of Karmøy in Norway at a water depth of about 220 metres.
The Hywind project was developed by StatoilHydro, and Siemens supplied the wind turbine. Over the next two years the floating wind turbine will be tested to provide a thorough analysis of this concept. The Hywind turbine will be connected to the local grid and is expected to start producing power in mid-July. Hywind is designed to be suitable for installation in water depths between 120 and 700 metres. The wind turbine supplied by Siemens is a SWT-2.3-82 with a 65-metre hub height and an 82-metre rotor diameter. StatoilHydro is responsible for the floating structure, which consists of a steel floater filled with ballast. This floating element extends 100 metres beneath the surface and is fastened to the seabed by three anchor wires. StatoilHydro and Siemens have jointly developed a control system for the Hywind turbine to address the special operating conditions of a floating structure. In particular, the advanced control system takes advantage of the turbine’s ability to dampen out part of the wave-induced motions of the floating system.