Funding granted for 30MW floating wind demo in Japan

A development consortium has been awarded funding for a 30MW floating offshore wind demonstration project in Japan.

The Southern Akita Floating Offshore Wind Demonstration Project will be located off the southern coast of Akita Prefecture in the north of Honshu, Japan's main island.

The demonstration project will be developed in water depths of up to 400 metres, making it one of the deepest offshore development sites in the world, according to the developers. It will include two ~15MW demonstrator offshore wind turbines deployed with semi-submersible floating foundations.

The consortium developing the project consists of: Marubeni Offshore Wind Development Corporation as the leading company; Akita Floating Offshore Wind Corporation, a special purpose
company; Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.; Japan Marine United Corporation; Toa Corporation; Tokyo Seiko Rope Co., Ltd.; Kanden Plant Corporation; JFE Engineering Corporation; and Nakanihon Air Co., Ltd.

SSE Pacifico, which is 80% owned by SSE, is also partnering with the development consortium.

The project will run from July 2024 to March 2031, with commercial operation scheduled to begin in autumn 2029.

The project will allow the consortium partners to gain an understanding of deploying floating offshore wind in Japan, considered a key target market with the world’s sixth-largest seabed area.

Dai Karasawa, president of SSE Pacifico, said: "We’re delighted our consortium has been successful in the GIF auction in Japan. This demonstration project will play a critical role in enhancing real world knowledge about deploying floating wind at such depths, not only in Japan but globally. It further enhances SSE’s standing in floating wind technology and builds on our strong collaboration with Marubeni on the Ossian floating wind project in the UK.”

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The competitive bid was conducted under the Green Innovation Fund (GIF) and announced by fund administrators New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

Japan’s Green Innovation Fund (GIF) was established to support the country’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. It provides financial support for businesses and projects that focus on innovative technologies and solutions to reduce emissions, and fosters research into and commercialisation of new technologies.

Marubeni Group has been participating in demonstration projects for floating offshore wind in Fukushima and Kitakyushu, and in 2022, secured seabed leasing rights in Scotland, UK, for the development of a floating wind project.