Hywind

Hywind is the brand name used by Equinor, a Norwegian energy company, for its floating offshore wind turbine technology. The first iteration, Hywind Scotland, was installed in 2017 off the coast of Dunbar, Scotland. It was the world’s first floating wind farm, demonstrating how wind turbines can be anchored to the sea floor by pontoons rather than fixed foundations. The project included five turbines, each 6 megawatt (MW) in capacity, combined to produce up to 30 MW of power. Since then, Hywind has expanded to other locations, including Hywind Tampen in 2020, a 50 MW addition constructed on the temporary mooring platform for the Tampen gas project in the North Sea.

The Hywind system employs a semi-submersible platform with twin casters and ballast tanks that help stabilize and moor the turbine assembly. The design allows turbines to be installed in waters too deep for conventional fixed-foundation turbines, typically greater than 150 meters. The floating wind farm can also be relocated if needed, offering flexibility for future developments.

Hywind technology has attracted interest for commercial floating wind farms worldwide. Equinor plans further deployments, targeting 400 MW by the late 2020s. Ongoing research focuses on improving cost efficiency, increasing turbine size, and integrating with offshore energy networks. The project has been cited as a critical step toward scaling floating wind as a viable renewable energy source, potentially unlocking vast wind resources in deep-water coastal regions.