Norwegian company Wind Catching Systems is developing a floating offshore wind power generator that could produce renewable energy for 80,000 homes at prices comparable to traditional fossil fuels.
Named the Windcatcher, the structure would contain more than a hundred rotors stacked vertically within a 300-metre-high framework.
The floating Windcatcher (top image) is about as tall as the Eiffel Tower (above)
According to the company, one Windcatcher could produce as much energy as five of the strongest floating turbines in existence while halving the price of the energy generated in the process.
Wind Catching Systems aims to deploy the first structure within the next three years.
"Our goal is to enable offshore wind operators and developers to produce electricity at a cost that competes with other energy sources, without subsidies," Wind Catching Systems CEO Ole Heggheim told Dezeen. "We can produce electricity for a cost per kilowatt that is similar to what the other floating technologies are planning to achieve in 10 years."
Smaller rotors can increase yield
Unlike turbines that are placed on fixed foundations in shallow water, floating turbines can harness energy from higher winds that occur above the deep, open sea.
However, due to their huge blades that can measure up to 115 metres long, these floating turbines generally max out at wind speeds of around 11 metres per second.
Wind Catching Systems hopes to make floating wind farms more efficient by ...