Floating offshore wind has proved that it can work. The next challenge is making it work at commercial scale.
Moving into deeper water opens up new areas for offshore wind, but it also brings practical questions around ports, grid capacity, installation, monitoring and the infrastructure needed to support much larger projects. Bachmann electronic looks at what needs to happen as floating wind moves beyond demonstration projects.
Infrastructure remains a key challenge
Floating foundations are typically assembled onshore and towed to site, creating substantial infrastructure requirements.
Commercial deployment will depend on:
Only a limited number of ports currently have the facilities required to handle very large floating structures.
Learning from operating projects
Existing projects are providing valuable experience. Hywind Scotland, commissioned in 2017, uses five 6 MW turbines, while the 88 MW Hywind Tampen project entered operation in 2023.
Provence Grand Large became the first floating offshore wind farm in France and the Mediterranean when fully commissioned in June 2025. Its three turbines are installed on tension leg platforms 17 km offshore.
These projects provide operational data that can help validate engineering assumptions and improve future designs.
Monitoring structures in constant motion
Unlike fixed-bottom turbines, floating structures experience combined wind, wave and current loading. Mooring lines continuously change tension, dynamic export cables flex and structural joints experience cyclic loading.
Structural health monitoring can therefore include:
Comparing measured behaviour with engineering models can help identify unexpected loading, improve fatigue predictions and target inspections more effectively.
Connecting monitoring, digital twins and AI
Digital twins combine engineering models with live operational data, allowing predicted structural behaviour to be compared with actual conditions throughout the asset's life.
Artificial intelligence (AI) could further support this process by identifying patterns within large operational datasets. Potential applications include detecting changes in mooring behaviour, unusual structural responses and emerging equipment faults.
AI supports rather than replaces engineering judgement.
Bachmann electronic's approach combines measurement, automation and condition monitoring within a common platform.
Moving towards commercial deployment
Floating wind has demonstrated that it can operate in demanding offshore environments. The next challenge is delivering projects at the capacity and cost required for wider deployment.
Investment in ports, grids, manufacturing and installation vessels will need to develop alongside improvements in platform design, materials and corrosion protection.
Operational data will also remain important. Reliable monitoring can help engineers validate designs, understand structural behaviour and improve maintenance planning.
As floating wind moves into commercial deployment, combining robust engineering with high-quality operational data could help reduce uncertainty and support more reliable projects in deeper waters.
Read the full interview in PES Wind: https://pes.eu.com/exclusive-articles/floating-winds-next-wave-from-test-beds-to-terawatts