IRENA_G7_Floating_offshore_wind_outlook_

1.1 OFFSHORE WIND IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION The attractiveness of offshore wind as a tangible solution to contribute to the energy transition is attributed largely to the availability of offshore locations, its high energy output and its gigawatt scalability. [...] The key components of the mooring system are the mooring lines (or tendons) and the anchor, as these elements are responsible for transferring generated forces from the foundation to the seabed. [...] Offshore sub-station The main objective of the offshore sub-station is to serve as the interface that connects the array cables (originating from the wind turbines/farms) to the export cables. [...] The main difference between the offshore and onshore sub-station is that the latter is located on land, is close to the export cable and adapts the voltage received from the offshore sub-station to the voltage used by transmission grids – usually 400 kV and above (BVG Associates, 2023). [...] Key opportunities for reducing the LCOE lie in the requirements of raw materials to produce floating sub- structures, the complexity of design and fabrication, and the maintenance requirements due to the motion on the floating sub-structure, turbine and mooring system.