Offshore Wind Farm Project for Stricken Japanese Province

Experimental offshore wind farm project aimed to help in Fukushima recovery

A consortium made up of Marubeni (project integrator), the University of Tokyo, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, IHI Marine United, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Nippon Steel, Hitachi, Furukawa Electric, Shimizu and Mizuho Information & Research are participating in an experimental offshore floating wind farm project sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

This experimental project consists of three floating wind turbines and one floating power sub-station off the coast of Fukushima. The first stage of this experimental project will begin in 2012 and consists of one 2MW floating wind turbine, the world's first 66kV floating power sub-station and undersea cable. In the second stage of the project two 7MW wind turbines will be added between 2013 and 2015.

Fukushima Prefecture expects this experimental project to spawn a new industry in renewable energy and create employment as part of recovery efforts in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake.