The installation and operation phases are critical stages in the lifecycle of offshore wind turbines, with costs associated with the installation and maintenance of floating wind turbines accounting for approximately 50% of the total investment. This paper presents the latest advancements in the technologies for the installation and maintenance of floating wind turbines. First, it discusses the installation techniques and relevant research related to the foundations and components of floating wind turbines. Next, it explores various operational strategies for offshore wind turbines and studies on major component replacements. The interrelationship of research in the installation and maintenance fields for floating wind turbines is examined. Furthermore, this paper investigates various tools and equipment used for the installation and maintenance of offshore wind turbines. It also addresses the relevant regulations and standards governing offshore operations for floating wind turbines. Finally, this paper provides a forward-looking perspective on the installation and maintenance of floating wind turbines.

With the increased scale and deployment of floating wind turbines in deep sea environments, jack-up installation vessels are unable to conduct maintenance operations due to limitations in water depth. This has led to the recognition of the advantages of floating cranes in offshore maintenance activities. However, the dynamic coupling between the crane and the floating wind turbine under wave and wind action can result in complex responses, which also relate to complex mooring configurations. The ability to maintain stability during maintenance operations has become a primary concern. In order to address this issue, a method of connecting a floating crane with a floating wind turbine is proposed, simulating the berthing of a floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) to a crane. Thus, a systematic comparison was conducted with frequency- and time-domain simulation using ANSYS-AQWA software. The simulation results demonstrated the feasibility and dynamic efficiency of this novel berthing approach. Connecting the crane vessel to a floating wind turbine significantly reduced the crane tip movement. Simulations showed that the crane tip movement in the X-, Y-, and Z-directions was reduced by over 30%, which implies that it may be feasible to conduct offshore on-site maintenance operations for the FOWT by using floating crane vessels if the two bodies were properly constrained.