Offshore wind has become an attractive energy source across the globe, but in South Africa there are challenges.

Offshore wind energy refers to energy generation via wind turbines that are mounted on structures off the coast of a state in the ocean (thus, "offshore").

Offshore wind energy has become an attractive energy generation prospect in recent years since its first appearance along Denmark's shores in the 1990s. Similarly to onshore wind projects, installations consist of wind turbines generating electricity through the capture of the kinetic energy that wind creates through the rotation of turbine blades. Offshore turbine blades are often much larger than onshore blades, with one blade almost as long as a rugby field, and massive farms of these giants can be found mostly in the North Sea.

This kinetic energy is subsequently converted into mechanical energy as the captured wind spins the internal rotors and hub, and drives an electric generator that produces electrical currents. This is the same process that occurs in onshore wind installations. However, this is where the processes diverge.

Offshore wind turbines are often mounted onto a specialised platform structure off the coast of the mainland, which supports the turbine. These platforms are categorised depending on the connection to the seabed, but the most common are either...