According to Interesting Engineering, WindFloat Atlantic,
located off the coast of Portugal, was the first semi-submersible wind farm in
the world. Built in 2020, the installation has blown past projections for
output in its four years of operation, putting out 320 gigawatt-hours of energy
in that time.
The wind farm provides
power for 25,000 houses each year and prevents 33,000 tons of planet-heating
carbon dioxide from being produced."We
are proud to see that our project progresses each year toward having a more
positive impact," Jose Miguel Moreira Pinheiro, project director of
WindFloat Atlantic, said in a statement, per Interesting Engineering.
WindFloat Atlantic
consists of three floating platforms, each with a turbine on board. The
platforms are semi-submerged and anchored to the sea floor using massive
chains, allowing them to better withstand potential rough seas while staying in
place.
Each platform is
stabilized via a system of gates that fill with water at the base of the
columns, allowing it to move and shift with the waves while staying fully
upright. But WindFloat's environmental impact extends beyond just providing
clean energy to Portugal.
According to the
platform's managing firm, Ocean Winds, over 270 species successfully coexisted
with the wind farm, with "no substantial negative effects on marine
animals or endangered bird species." On top of that, surveys have shown
that the semi-submerged platforms foster undersea conservation efforts and the
formation of coral reefs.
Wind power is booming
in the United States and beyond; according to theEnergy Information Administration, it accounted for
10.2% of power generated in the U.S. alone. New York staterecently began construction on a new offshore
wind farm just off the coast of Montauk.
Outside of the U.S.,
the United Kingdom has started to push wind power and islooking to install floating wind farms
in the near future.