Offshore Wind in the Energy Transition: A Comparative Analysis of Floating and Bottom-Fixed Technologies

Offshore wind energy is a strategic pillar for achieving European climate neutrality targets, yet its deployment faces geographical and technological constraints. Fixed-bottom offshore wind (FBOW) has reached industrial maturity in shallow waters but is limited by depth. Floating offshore wind (FOW) emerges as a solution for deep-water contexts, unlocking vast resources and enabling integration with advanced energy systems such as power-to-X. This analysis conducts a systematic comparative analysis of FBOW and FOW technologies through a techno-economic framework based on six key parameters: installation depth, turbine power, capacity factor (CF), CAPEX, OPEX, and levelized cost of energy (LCOE). A review of…