A seven-megawatt floating wind turbine, the world’s largest to date, is schedule to go into operation in September, about 12 miles off the coast of Fukushima, Japan.
“The turbines are part of a pilot project led by Marubeni Co. and funded by the Japanese government with research and support from several public and private organizations, including the University of Tokyo and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,” EcoWatch reports. “The new turbine, which will tower 220 meters above the sea, will transmit electricity to the grid via submarine cable.” The government is investing ¥50 billion (US$405 million) in the project.
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Offshore turbines “enjoy the benefit of more stable wind than onshore models, and are more efficient because they are not hampered by the constraints posed by land and transportation,” the Japan Times states, adding that the technology has gained support in Japan since the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The Fukushima Wind Project installed a two-MW turbine in November 2013 and is expected to add a 5-MW device later this year, bringing total capacity to 14 MW.
