IHC IQIP equipment on board Seajacks Zaratan during XL monopile installation

IHC IQIP Supplying Equipment for Akita-Noshiro OWF Construction

IHC IQIP will deliver equipment for the installation of the wind turbine foundations on the Akita-Noshiro offshore wind project, the first large-scale offshore wind farm in Japan.

Illustration; Photo: IHC IQIP

For these construction activities, the company will supply its S-1400 Hydrohammer with Pile Inclination Measuring Equipment, a UT-700 Upending tool, and three Transition Piece Lifting Tools.

The Akita-Noshiro project comprises two sites, one off Akita Port and one off Noshiro Port, with a total of 33 monopile foundations to be installed, of which 13 will be installed near the Akita port, and 20 near the Noshiro port.

The wind farm construction officially started this year and the foundation installation is expected to kick off early next year, with the Seajacks Zaratan installation vessel to be deployed for the work.

Sif, which signed the final contract with the project’s EPCI contractor Kajima Corporation in March, is delivering the monopile foundations and transition pieces for the Akita-Noshiro wind farm. The transition pieces are being manufactured by Smulders.

Sif sent off the first batch of monopiles from Rotterdam to Japan at the beginning of December, after starting production for the project this May.

The wind farm will comprise 13 Vestas V117-4.2MW typhoon variant turbines at the Akita site, while the Noshiro site will have 20 turbines.

The 139 MW project, developed by Akita Offshore Wind Corporation, a special purpose company set up by a consortium led by Marubeni Corporation, is scheduled for commissioning in 2022.