Offshore wind industry has greater growth potential, as wind resources are 30 – 50 percent higher at sea than on land.

The infrastructure required for the installation of a offshore wind farm is more complex than on land.

You must take into account aspects such as:

• Anchoring systems
• Underwater wiring
• Substation structures
• Electrical systems

Among the types of anchorage systems there are two: fixed and floating

Fixed

Monopile

They are used in offshore wind farms with a maximum depth of 15 meters offshore. It is a cylindrical steel structure that is buried up to 30 meters, on sandy or clay soils, in order to hold the tower. An important advantage of this type of foundation is that it does not need the seabed to be conditioned. On the other hand, it requires heavy piloting equipment, and this type of foundation is not advised in locations with many blocks of ore on the seabed.  Monopile foundations can  be found in 81% of the offshore wind  farms built today.

Gravity-Based Foundation (GBS)

It is constituted by a large foundation of about 15 meters in diameter, which  rests on the seabed,and can be built in areasat most 30 meters deep. Since you have to create a cement base (or steel as the case may be) it is necessary to pre-condition the land where it will be installed. This process allows gravity anchors  to be placed on any type of seabed. They still account for 5% of offshore wind farms.

These structures are installed at depths of up to approximately 30 meters.

Space frame: For depths of 25 – 60 meters

Tripod

The tripod foundation is inspired by the lightweight three-legged steel platforms for marine oil fields in the oil industry.  From the steel pile under the turbine tower a steel structure departs that transfers the efforts of the tower to three steel piles. The three piles are nailed from 10 to 20 meters on the seabed, depending on soil conditions and ice loads.

Jacket

It is a structure of 3 or 4 anchor points, being able to reach 60 meters in length.  They can be installed on all types of beds, except if they are rocky. These supports are fixed to the ground by stilts.

Tri-pile

It is a type of support structure like the tripod structure. The piles of this type of structure are of greater dimensions, so they give great stability to the whole. The function of this triangular base is to distribute vertical forces and support greater bending resistance.

The transition piece is responsible for joining the three piles. In addition, in the center, a connection system is placed to link the wind turbine tower with the support structure, this makes the joint much easier.

Floating

These include:

Spar

It is a cylindrical steel or concrete structure. Within it are located watertight structures. The ones at the bottom are filled with sand or water ballast, while the top is filled with air, so that these structures stay afloat and upright. In turn its foundation is maintained through anchor tensioners. These structures are mostly from 100 meters deep.

TLP (Tension Leg Platform)

These structures are used from 50 meters deep. They consist of a platform designed from a large central column and arms connected to tensioners that ensure the stability of the structure. These tensioners are solid and high strength, usually made of steel. They are usually placed between 2 or 3 wires on each leg of the base. Since these cables are always in tension, their stability and buoyancy are ensured, however, they are complex anchorage systems that cannot be installed on any bottom.

Semi-sub

This type of structure consists of 3 columns joined together by arms, these columns provide the hydrostatic stability necessary to keep the structure stable in the water. The foundations are kept in balance by tensioners. They are systems that are not suitable for areas of strong swell and extreme conditions, as it would generate a constant movement of the assembly and a malfunction of the wind turbine.