Didier Mallieu: Powering Offshore Wind with Floating Substations
Engineering offshore wind for deeper waters and a sustainable future, Hitachi Energy’s Didier Mallieu explains how floating substations are key to unleashing the full power of the sea.
Image for illustration purposes
Denmark, Copenhagen: As the wind industry continues to scale new heights, offshore innovation takes centre stage in Europe’s push toward net-zero. At WindEurope 2025 in Copenhagen, amid the energy, ambition, and urgency of this year’s theme Scale up, Electrify, Deliver, Hitachi Energy’s Didier Mallieu shared key insights on what’s next for wind: floating offshore substations (FOSS).
“Offshore wind is an incredible resource,” Didier noted, “but 80 % of its global potential lies in deep waters, beyond the reach of today’s fixed-bottom technology.” To harness this, floating platforms must host not just turbines but also electrical substations, enabling efficient power transmission back to shore.
The challenge? Engineering reliable, bankable electrical systems that can operate on moving platforms in harsh marine conditions—for 25 years or more. Didier stressed that innovation must go hand-in-hand with practical experience, cautioning against premature over-standardisation: “We need flexibility to optimise designs for each site and cost-effectiveness.”
Cost trends are promising. Lessons from shipbuilding and oil and gas, along with partnerships between manufacturers and floater designers, are driving affordability. Circularity also plays a key role, as floating designs simplify decommissioning and material recovery—closing the loop for a cleaner energy system.
The future of offshore wind is not just fixed—it is floating.
Source: Hitachi Energy
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