Page 10 - AsiaElec Week 07 2023

AsiaElec RENEWABLES AsiaElec

Tokyo Gas mulls joint Fukushima

offshore wind project

Project’s environmental impact assessment just released

JAPAN TOKYO Gas and Shinobuyama Fukushima project conducted off the coast of Fukushima to
Power Co. are evaluating a floating wind power realise commercialisation. It’s what we aim for,”
project off the coast of Fukushima. The Japanese said the companies.
companies announced the joint evaluation. “Through the EIA, [the partners] will proceed
The Asian country is seeking new power sources with this study while obtaining understanding
since it closed nuclear facilities after the 2011 Fuku- through repeated discussions with local fisheries
shima nuclear power plant (NPP) disaster. officials, local residents and relevant local gov-
The site is on the Pacific Ocean coast of Japan ernments,” they said.
near the towns of Tomiko and Nahara. The fish- The 7-MW Fukushima Forward floating off-
ing industry, residents and local authorities will shore project has operated in the region, though
be consulted, said the companies. it is now decommissioned.
The 30-MW wind plant would use Princi- On January 31, Japan fully commissioned a
ple Power’s floating platform. Tokyo Gas has a 55-MW offshore wind project, the first large one
25% stake in US-based Principle Power, whose in the country. It is fixed-bottom – the founda-
platforms have been installed off Scotland and tions are on the sea-bed – in shallow waters in
Portugal. the Sea of Japan.
The project would consist of 2 x 15-MW tur- The lead developer of the Akita Port Offshore
bines on the semi-submersible floating founda- Wind Farm, part of the larger 114-MW Akita &
tions and come online in 2027. Noshiro project, is Marubeni. The company is a
The project’s environmental impact assess- leading integrated trading and investment busi-
ment has just been released. ness conglomerate.
“This study uses the floating technology of Japan aims to be carbon neutral by 2050 and
Principle Power, which has a proven track record has a goal of 10 GW of offshore wind by 2030
in Europe, and utilises the know-how obtained and 45 GW by 2040. It has a feed-in tariff (FiT)
through the floating demonstration research programme.™

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 07 15 •February•2023