Japan has reached a milestone in the development of its wind industry with the commissioning of its first commercial floating wind farm. Located off the coast of Kabashima Island in the Goto archipelago, the project has a total capacity of 16.8 MW, distributed across eight 2.1 MW turbines supplied by Hitachi. The project is led by a consortium comprising Toda Corporation, ENEOS Renewable Energy Corporation, Osaka Gas, INPEX Corporation, Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO), and Chubu Electric Power.
A global first for hybrid SPAR technology
The turbines are installed on hybrid SPAR-type floating foundations, combining a steel upper section with a concrete lower base. This engineering solution, developed by Toda Corporation, represents the world’s first commercial application of this type of floater. The consortium stated that the technology was designed to suit Japan’s specific marine conditions, where seabed depths limit the use of fixed foundations.
Offshore construction began in October 2022 with the transport of the first floating foundation from Fukue Port to the site. The project was awarded under the country’s first offshore wind auction following the enforcement of the Renewable Sea Area Utilization Law in April 2019. It received certification from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Local involvement and contractual framework
The project partners highlighted the active participation of local companies during the construction phase. This involvement is expected to continue during operations, particularly in maintenance activities. The electricity generated will be supplied primarily to regional utility companies, under a local energy production and consumption model.
The feed-in tariff has been set at JPY36 per kilowatt-hour (EUR 0.20/kWh), approximately $0.22/kWh. This tariff will remain in effect until the scheduled end-of-life of the site in December 2043. The long-term contract forms part of Japan’s strategy to build a competitive industrial offshore wind sector.
