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The present paper compares in economic terms, four technological alternatives to use offshore renewable energies: floating offshore wind energy technology, floating offshore wave energy systems, floating offshore co-located systems and floating offshore hybrid systems. These alternatives are compared considering different locations and sizes of the farms. Studies such as this can be useful for planning strategies and decision-making, particularly to investors that have to decide if and how to develop and deploy particular technologies in deep waters. The results indicate that the best alternative considering the life-cycle cost and LCOE is the floating offshore wind energy technology. Floating offshore co-located systems have the second best result, being a better alternative than floating offshore wave energy devices or floating offshore hybrid systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to develop a methodology to determine the economic feasibility of a floating offshore wind farm. The methodology proposed considers that the life-cycle cost of a floating offshore wind farm is composed of the costs of each of the phases of its life-cycle (concept and definition, design and development, manufacturing, installation, exploitation and dismantling). Moreover, they are subdivided considering their sub-costs and taking into account the five components of a floating offshore wind farm: offshore wind turbine, floating platform, mooring, anchoring and electric system. The method ends when the economic feasibility indexes are calculated. The methodology has been used to analyse an offshore location: the Galician region (North-West of Spain). Results indicate that the best economic area in the Galician region is the area located from the Ría de Pontevedra to the Ría de Ribadeo. In addition, comparing the three floating offshore wind platforms, the semisubmersible platform and the spar platform are the best options in economic terms. The method proposed can be used to determine the economic keys in order to develop a floating offshore wind farm in any location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]