Japanese companies to carry out a feasibility study on large-scale floating vertical-axis wind turbines
This consortium, made up of Albatross Technology, Electric Power Development, Tokyo Electric Power Company, K-Line, and Sumitomo, will lead the study in response to a call for proposals from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.
The aim is to develop next-generation technologies to advance the use of floating offshore wind power.
Japan has high hopes for offshore wind energy, but with limited shallow coastal waters, there is an urgent need to commercialize floating wind technology.
The goal of the study is to assess the practicality of large-scale vertical-axis wind turbines, where both the turbine and the floating foundation rotate together, as a future solution for floating offshore wind power.
The consortium will work on the preliminary design to gain basic design approval. These turbines are expected to match the efficiency of traditional horizontal-axis turbines, while also allowing the use of smaller, more affordable floating platforms.
Additionally, since these turbines can be manufactured with a nearly identical design regardless of variations in water depth or seabed conditions, mass production is expected to further lower costs.
