Japan has started up its first commercial floating offshore wind project off Goto City in Nagasaki Prefecture, where a 16.8 MW array of turbines is now in operation. The scheme, known as the Goto offshore wind farm, is operated by the Goto Floating Wind Farm consortium.

The development is the first floating wind project in Japan to be approved by both the national economic authorities and the ministry in charge of land and transport under the country’s Marine Renewable Energy Sea-Area Utilization Act.

Power is generated by eight floating turbines rated at 2.1 MW each, giving a total capacity of 16.8 MW. The machines are installed on a hybrid spar-style foundation that combines a steel section above the waterline with a concrete element below, a structure designed and built by Toda Corporation, which leads the consortium.

According to the project partners, this marks the first commercial deployment worldwide of this hybrid spar concept. Alongside Toda Corporation, the consortium includes ENEOS Renewable Energy Corporation, Osaka Gas, Inpex Corporation, Kansai Electric Power, and Chubu Electric Power.

Local firms took part in construction and are also expected to support operations and maintenance. In keeping with Japan’s approach of producing energy within the region where it is used, electricity from the wind farm is to be supplied on a preferential basis to nearby power providers.