TODA Switches On Japan’s First Commercial Floating Offshore Wind Farm
Japan has officially entered the era of commercial floating offshore wind power, with the Goto Offshore Wind Farm commencing operations on January 5, 2026, according to a statement from project operator Goto Floating Wind Farm LLC.
Located off Goto City in Nagasaki Prefecture, the 16.8-megawatt project is the country’s first floating wind farm to reach commercial service and the first to be certified under Japan’s Marine Renewable Energy Sea-Area Utilization Act. The milestone places Japan among a small group of countries moving floating wind from demonstration to commercial-scale deployment.
The project consists of eight 2.1-MW turbines mounted on floating platforms, enabling deployment in deeper waters where conventional fixed-bottom turbines are not viable. This is particularly significant for Japan, where steep coastal bathymetry has long constrained offshore wind development.
At the core of the project is a hybrid spar-type floating foundation, featuring a steel upper structure and a concrete lower section. Designed and constructed by TODA Corporation, the system represents the world’s first commercial application of this hybrid spar technology, according to the project partners. Floating foundations are widely viewed as critical to unlocking large-scale offshore wind potential in Japan and other deepwater markets across Asia.
The Goto project was developed by a consortium of major Japanese industrial and energy companies, including TODA Corporation, ENEOS Renewable Energy Corporation, Osaka Gas, INPEX, Kansai Electric Power, and Chubu Electric Power. The special-purpose company was established in October 2021 after the consortium won a government tender for the site earlier that year.
The project has been nearly seven years in the making. The Goto offshore area was designated as a promotion zone for marine renewable energy in 2019, with the public tender launched in 2020. Offshore construction began in 2022 following formal certification and permitting by Japan’s central government.
Beyond its technological significance, the wind farm is also positioned as a regional development project. Local companies were involved in construction and are expected to play roles in operations and maintenance. Electricity generated by the facility will be supplied preferentially to local retail power providers, aligning with Japan’s policy push for local production and local consumption of energy.
Floating offshore wind is emerging as a strategic pillar of Japan’s long-term decarbonization plans. The country has set ambitious offshore wind targets, but faces structural challenges due to limited shallow waters and complex maritime conditions. As a result, floating wind is expected to play a disproportionate role compared with markets in Europe.
While the Goto project is modest in scale, it is widely seen as a proof point for future commercial developments. Larger floating wind projects are under consideration across multiple regions, and policymakers and investors will closely watch operational performance, costs, and supply chain localization.
For Japan’s utilities and energy majors, the project also reflects a broader strategic shift. Companies traditionally focused on thermal power, LNG, and upstream oil and gas are increasingly investing in renewables, offshore wind, hydrogen, and carbon management technologies as part of long-term portfolio diversification.
With the Goto Offshore Wind Farm now online, Japan has crossed a key threshold—moving floating offshore wind from concept and pilot phase into commercial reality.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
No comments:
Post a Comment