For the third consecutive year, Hywind Scotland – the world’s first floating offshore wind farm – reached the highest average capacity factor for any wind farm in the UK.
With an average capacity factor of 57.1% in the 12 month period to March 2020, the floating offshore wind farm set a new record in the UK.
During its first two years of operation, the wind farm achieved an average capacity factor of 54%. That compares to an offshore wind average in the UK of around 40%. The capacity factor is the ratio of actual energy output over a given period of time, to the maximum possible output. A higher capacity factor means lower intermittency and higher value.
The Equinor-operated wind farm has proven the potential for floating offshore wind, paving the way for the UK’s announcement of 1GW of floating offshore wind to be developed in the UK by 2030.
Equinor is a global leader in floating offshore wind. With Hywind Tampen onstream in 2022 Equinor will operate a third of floating offshore wind production worldwide.
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