# Offshore wind

Turbines at sea, on fixed foundations in shallow water or floating platforms in deep water.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_offshore_wind/

Capture · Wind · No. 27

- Capture
- Output: Electricity
 Capture · Wind · Foundation · Energy

In Norway, eleven giant wind turbines float on concrete structures in water up to 300 m deep, powering oil fields.

Chart: Illustration: Offshore wind

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Wind over the sea meets no hills, trees or buildings, so it blows faster and steadier. New offshore farms averaged a 41% capacity factor in 2025, against 36% on land.

##### Three things to know

1. Norway's Hywind Tampen floats eleven 8 MW turbines in about 260-300 m of water, supplying about 35% of the power for nearby oil fields.
2. Each megawatt at sea needs about 540 t of steel and about 15.5 t of critical minerals, against roughly 10 t on land.
3. Hammering a foundation into the seabed drives harbour porpoises away from about 17 km around, even with noise reduction.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Sea wind**Faster, steadier air with no obstacles
2. 2 **Rotor**Blades over 80 m long turn the shaft
3. 3 **Foundation**Monopile, jacket, gravity base or floating platform
4. 4 **Array cable**Links each turbine to a substation
5. 5 **Export link**Subsea cable or HVDC line to shore
 Covered in [Earth's energy flows: sun, wind, water, heat and lifeEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/earths-energy-flows/)[Making electricity: thermal, nuclear, hydro, wind and solarEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/making-electricity/)[Power density: why land and space matterEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/power-density/)

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_offshore_wind/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_offshore_wind/correlation/index.md)
- [Efficiency](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_offshore_wind/efficiency/index.md)
- [Techniques](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_offshore_wind/techniques/index.md)
- [Resources and labour](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_offshore_wind/resources/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_offshore_wind/biosphere/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_offshore_wind/links/index.md)