Fixed Offshore Wind

Capturing energy from offshore wind with bottom-mounted foundations.

Offshore wind energy technologies harness kinetic energy from the wind to generate energy and transport that energy back to shore via a subsea export cable. The main advantage of offshore wind energy is access to stronger and more consistent winds, allowing for the use of larger turbines. The development of offshore wind in Europe and Asia has preceded development activities in other parts of the world; however, several projects in the United States are currently underway.

There are different types of offshore wind turbine foundation on which the turbine can be installed, depending on the depth and substrate. Gravity foundations are used at shallow depths (0-30m) and consist of large, steel or concrete bases that rest on the seabed. Suction bucket foundations are also made from steel or concrete, and are installed using the pressure difference generated between the inside of the bucket and the water surrounding it (without any use of mechanical force). Monopile foundations are used at shallow depths (0-30 m) and consist of a pile that is driven into the seabed. Monopiles are typically less costly than other foundation types and are the most commonly used. Tripod fixed bottom foundations are used at transitional depths (20-80m) and consist of three legs connecting to a central shaft that supports the turbine base. Each leg has a pile driven into the seabed, which creates a wide foundation that allows for the piles to be placed at a shallower depth in the seabed than monopile foundations. Jacket foundations are also used at transitional depths (20-80m) and feature a lattice framework that comprises three to four anchoring points driven into the seafloor.

The environmental concerns associated with offshore wind farms vary with foundation type. Monopiles, for example, require pile-driving, which produces incredibly loud noises that tend to propagate far in the water, even after mitigation strategies such as bubble shields, slow start, and acoustic cladding are employed. Collision risk with birds and bats is a major concern, though the impact is more difficult to quantify offshore because carcasses that provide evidence of collisions become lost at sea. While the footprint of offshore wind energy is relatively small, it may still cause scouring and changes to sediment transport. As with all electricity generation, there is a slight concern that electromagnetic fields generated by power cables may affect animals that use Earth's natural magnetic field for orientation, navigation, and hunting. Artificial reefing is likely to occur around wind farms as the new hard substrate provides protection and attracts colonizing invertebrates and fish.

Affiliated Marine and Wind Energy Environmental Documents

Total results: 3097
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Settlement success of European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) on different types of hard substrate to support reef development in offshore wind farms ter Hofstede, R., Witte, S., Kamermans, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Invertebrates
Potential Impacts of Offshore Wind on the Marine Ecosystem and Associated Species: Background and Issues for Congress Keating-Bitoni, C., Marshak, A., Comay, L. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Bats, Birds, Fish, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Behavioural responses of Sandwich terns following the construction of offshore wind farms Thaxter, C., Green, R., Collier, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision, Displacement Birds, Seabirds
To what extent can decommissioning options for marine artificial structures move us toward environmental targets? Knights, A., Lemasson, A., Firth, L. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
Passive acoustic monitoring for assessing marine mammals population in European waters: Workshop conclusions and perspectives Michel, M., Guichard, B., Béesau, J. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
An Eulerian perspective on habitat models of striped bass occurrence in an offshore wind development area Rothermel, E., O'Brien, M., Best, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Displacement Fish, Pelagic Fish
Assessment of Technology Gaps for Statistically Robust Data and Integration of Monitoring of Birds and Marine Mammals into Equipment and Operations of Offshore Windfarms Courbis, S., Williams, K., Stepanuk, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Birds, Marine Mammals
Co-location of fisheries and offshore wind farms: Current practices and enabling conditions in the North Sea Bonsu, P., Letschert, J., Yates, K. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Fisheries
The Relationship Between Offshore Wind Farms and Marine Wildlife in Rhode Island Lloyd, H. , Caputo. A., Foley. B. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Marine Mammals
The effect of offshore wind farms on the variation of the phytoplankton population Kordan, M., Yakan, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
EVALUATING SOIL STIFFNESS FOR COASTAL VIRGINIA OFFSHORE WIND RESEARCH PROJECT MONOPILE FOUNDATIONS Price, K. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Monetized (socio-)environmental handprint and footprint of an offshore windfarm in the Belgian Continental Shelf: An assessment of local, regional and global impacts De Luca Pena, L., Taelman, S. E., Bas, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Life Cycle Assessment, Social & Economic Data
Norwegian offshore wind power—Spatial planning using multi-criteria decision analysis Solbrekke, I. M., Sorteberg, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Stakeholder insights into embedding marine net gain for offshore wind farm planning and delivery Edwards-Jones, A., Watson, S.C.L., Szostek, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Engagement
Ecosystem indicators: predicting population responses to combined climate and anthropogenic changes in shallow seas Trifonova, N., Scott, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning
Estuarine Particles Simulations: the Connection Between Delaware Bay and Offshore Wind Lease Areas Li, Y., Lopez, A., Bemis, K. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Ecosystem Processes
Wind Farm Blockage Revealed by Fog: The 2018 Horns Rev Photo Case Hasager, C., Nygaard, N., Poulos, G. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow Physical Environment
Overlap between the Mid-Atlantic Bight Cold Pool and offshore wind lease areas Horwitz, R., Miles, T., Munroe, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Experimental study on the effect of sound stimulation on hearing and behavior of juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) Wang, Y., Huang, L., Xing, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Fish
A synthesis review of nature positive approaches and coexistence in the offshore wind industry Pardo, J., Aune, M., Harman, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning
Recommendations for Evaluating the Use of Existing Baseline Observational Survey Data for Birds in Offshore Wind Site Characterization Processes for the U.S. Atlantic Avian Displacement Guidance Committee Guidance Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Birds
Assessment of Offshore Wind Energy Opportunities and Challenges in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Fuchs, R., Musial, W., Zuckerman, G. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Grand Challenges Revisited: Wind Energy Research Needs for a Global Energy Transition Veers, P., Dykes, K., Baranowski, R. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Noise Bats, Birds, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data, Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Impacts
Decommissioning of offshore wind farms and its impact on benthic ecology Spielmann, V., Dannheim, J., Brey, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Whispers in the Wind: Ethical dimensions of social conflict in offshore wind Oliveira, R. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions
Exploration of potential collaboration on preventive, mitigation and compensation measures van der Kamp, M., Brekelmans, M., Verweij, L. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning
European plaice movements show evidence of high residency, site fidelity, and feeding around hard substrates within an offshore wind farm Buyse, J., Reubens, J., Hostens, K. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction Fish, Demersal Fish, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Quick scan of cumulative impacts on the North Sea biodiversity: with a focus on selected species in relation to future developments in offshore wind energy Jongbloed, R., Tamis, J., van der Wal, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Birds, Fish, Human Dimensions
Joint OSPAR/HELCOM/ICES Working Group on Seabirds (JWGBIRDS; Outputs from 2022 Meeting) Dierschke, V., Frederiksen, M., Glemarec, G. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance Birds, Seabirds
Validation of the bird migration prediction model Kraal, J., Krijgsveld, K., Japink, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds
Numerical Study of Turbulent Wake of Offshore Wind Turbines and Retention Time of Larval Dispersion Ajmi, S., Boutet, M., Bennis, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates
Med OCEaN Recommendations to ensure nature-friendly offshore wind and grid development with robust and timely Maritime Spatial Planning Offshore Coalition For Energy & Nature (OCEaN) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
How bubble curtains protect porpoises from wind farm noise Hardach, S. Magazine Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Upcalling behaviour and patterns in North Atlantic right whales, implications for monitoring protocols during wind energy development Davis, G., Tennant, S., Van Parijs, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Human Dimensions
Assessing fish ecology around OWFs using eDNA Elliot, M., Dickens, S., Robbins, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Fish
Impact of geophysical and geotechnical site investigation surveys on fish and shellfish Duffy, O., Chumbinho, R., Coca, I. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Noise Fish, Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Fish distribution in three dimensions around the Block Island Wind Farm as observed with conventional and volumetric echosounders Jech, J., Lipsky, A., Moran, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction Fish
Energy Conversion Factors in Underwater Radiated Sound from Marine Piling: Review of the method and recommendations Wood, M., Ainslie, M., Burns, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise
Report on the ICES Working Group on Marine Mammal Ecology (WGMME) 2023 Ahola, M., Alves, F., Authier, M. Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Displacement, Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds
Short-term habituation of the longfin squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) to pile driving sound Jézéquel, Y., Jandial, P., Cones, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise Invertebrates
Displaying 201 - 240 of 3097 results