A comparative study of concrete and steel substructures for Floating Ocean Wind Turbines (FOWT), both spar and semi-submersible, indicates that concrete floaters, have lower carbon footprint and costs, than their steel counterparts.
DNV has performed a comparative study between steel and concrete substructures for FOWT. The study considers the following aspects: carbon footprint, cost, and potential for local content. The study focuses on the whole life cycle of the substructures, i.e. from “cradle to grave”.
For the comparison, two types of floater concepts are considered (spar and semi-submersible). Further, a high-level comparative assessment of the steel building capacity for FOWT substructures is included.
The study results indicate that, for the base cases considered, concrete floaters, both spar and semi-submersible, have
lower carbon footprint and costs, than their steel counterparts.
The study can be downloaded here:
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