New Offshore Wind Study Indicates Concrete Can Reduce Costs

The article discusses a new study from the UK indicating that concrete foundations could significantly reduce costs for floating offshore wind farms, particularly in deepwater areas unsuitable for traditional steel monopile foundations. While conventional offshore wind turbines are typically fixed on steel monopiles in shallow waters, floating platforms are necessary for deeper waters found along much of the US west coast and parts of the east coast like Maine. The UK-based consultancy OpenWater highlights concrete’s advantages—durability, low maintenance, lower capital expenditure, and suitability for local construction—as a competitive alternative to steel for floating wind platforms in the North Sea. This study is notable for being openly accessible, unlike many proprietary analyses by private developers. OpenWater evaluated 15 floating platform concepts, including barges, semi-submersibles, and tension leg platforms, but none have yet reached the highest Technology Readiness Level (TRL 9), with most at prototype or component test stages (TRL 5 to 7). Key factors in their assessment included installation ease, costs,