3. Equipment and infrastructure design

3.1 Offshore wind farms

An offshore wind turbine is never isolated. A large number of them are grouped together in the same area; their electrical output is collected, shaped and sent ashore. The whole unit is called an offshore wind farm. It includes the following equipment:

• wind turbines installed on their supporting structures;

• a transformation platform that collects the energy generated and transforms the electricity to the voltage level required for export to shore, located on its own structure;

• the electrical cables that connect these assemblies and provide the earth connection;

• a control center, usually onshore, from which the...