Trying to attach a million-dollar, 60-ton wind turbine blade to its base is challenging in any circumstance — getting the angle wrong by even a fraction of a degree could affect the machine’s ability to generate power.

Now imagine trying to do it in the middle of the North Sea, one of the world’s windiest spots, with waves swelling around you. It’s like tying a thread to a kite at the beach and then trying to put it through the eye of a needle.

That’s the challenge confronting Western leaders who want to wean their economies off Russian fossil fuels as Moscow continues its hostilities in Ukraine. Building more offshore wind is one of the more efficient ways for some countries to replace that dirty energy.