A development consortium in which SSE Pacifico is a member has been awarded public funding for a 30 MW floating offshore wind demonstration project in Japan. SSE Pacifico, which is 80% owned by SSE, is partnering with development consortium lead Marubeni Offshore Wind Development (MOWD) and other local partners in the successful bid.
The news comes following a competitive process under the Green Innovation Fund (GIF), established by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and announced by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), which administers the fund.
The winning consortium’s bid is one of two to have been selected under the competitive process. Up to 85 billion yen (circa £420 million) in public funding will be provided and is expected to be evenly split between the two successful projects. The funding will be awarded in phases as each project reaches key development milestones.
Located off the southern coast of Akita Prefecture in the north of Honshu, Japan's main island, the demonstration project will be developed in water depths of up to 400 metres. The consortium plans to develop two 15 MW demonstrator offshore wind turbines to be deployed with semi-submersible floating foundations.
The consortium will now work on progressing the project subject to reaching key milestones. The research focus of the consortium’s project is to optimise the business development, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (EPCI), and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) processes as a demonstration project, aiming at mass production and cost reduction of floating offshore wind power generation in Japan.
