A floating wind turbine is an offshore wind turbine mounted on a floating structure that allows the turbine to generate electricity

in water depths where bottom-mounted towers are not feasible. Locating wind farms out at sea can reduce visual pollution whilst providing better accommodation for fishing and shipping lanes. In addition, the wind is typically more consistent and stronger over the sea, due to the absence of topographic features that disrupt wind flow.[4] Floating wind parks are wind farms that site several floating wind turbines closely together to take advantage of common infrastructure such as power transmission facilities. The world's first operational deep-water floating large-capacity wind turbine is the Hywind, in the North Sea off Norway.[6][11] The Hywind was towed out to sea in early June 2009.[12] The 2.3 megawatt turbine was constructed by Siemens Wind Power and mounted on a floating tower with a 100-metre deep draft. The float tower was constructed by Technip. Statoil says that floating wind turbines are still immature and commercialization is distant.[13][14]