Japan's Demo Floater Takes Final Shape

A consortium led by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has fully assembled a 3MW demonstrator floating wind turbine at the Kitakyushu Port.  

The two-bladed wind turbine is installed on Ideol's patented Damping Pool floating platform.

The foundation was built at Hitachi Zosen's Sakai shipyard and towed to the Kitakyushu Port at the end of June.

The wind turbine will be towed to the installation site some 15 kilometres off Kitakyushu City where it will be anchored and connected to the grid via power cables.

Following a test run, the floater is expected to be commissioned this autumn and be in operation until 2021, NEDO said.

The project aims to validate and improve the cost-effectiveness of floating wind technology suitable for depths of between 50 metres and 100 metres.

Apart from NEDO, Hitachi Zosen and Ideol, the consortium includes Marubeni Corporation, the University of Tokyo, Eco Power Company, Glocal Inc, and Kyushu Electric Future Energy Co.