Harvesting the Wind on the Open Ocean

Offshore drilling company StatoilHydro is finding a new way to get energy at sea- with large-scale wind turbines.

1 minute read

May 29, 2008, 7:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


"Norwegian energy company StatoilHydro has decided to build the world's first full scale floating wind turbine, Hywind, and test it over a two-year period, offshore Karmoy, Norway. The company is investing approximately NOK400 million, with startup planned for autumn 2009.

StatoilHydro has said that a 2.3MW wind turbine is attached to the top of a so-called spar-buoy, a solution familiar from production platforms and offshore loading buoys.

The rotor blades on the floating wind turbine will have a diameter of 80m and the nacelle will tower some 65m above the sea surface. The floatation element will have a draft of some 100m below the sea surface, and will be moored to the seabed using three anchor points. The wind turbine can be located in waters with depths ranging from 120-700m.

The pilot project will be assembled in Amoyfjorden near Stavanger, Norway, and is to be located some 10km offshore Karmoy in the county of Rogaland. The wind turbine itself is to be built by Siemens."

Monday, May 26, 2008 in Energy Business Review

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight