The German energy company Energie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW) is running trials of a floating wind turbine that could soon compete on costs with fixed offshore installations, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports, according to CLEW. The plant, produced by German firm Aerodyn, is attached to a partially submerged buoy held in place by a circle of seabed anchors, allowing its two 7.5 megawatt turbines to turn freely in the wind. While the one-to-ten scale model is only being tested in a 10 metres deep lake, the final 200 metres tall structure could become cost-efficient at depths of 35 metres in the open sea, the company believes. Fixed offshore turbines are generally limited to depths of 50 metres due to cost restrictions.

Floating wind turbines are currently more expensive to produce than fixed ones and are also more susceptible to bad weather. But they are cheaper to install and maintain. Energy firms believe material costs will also fall in the future. Several pilot projects are already in place, including in the North Sea. EnBW plans to carry out final tests of its floating turbine off the coast of China next year, the FAZ reports.