Japanese Floating Wind Project Faces Two-Year Delay Due to Structural Issues

 

Japanese Floating Wind Project Faces Two-Year Delay Due to Structural Issues

Toda Corporation's ambitious endeavor to pioneer a new era of Japanese floating wind farms has hit a roadblock, as the project has been delayed by two years due to structural "defects" that were uncovered.

Toda Corporation disclosed on Friday that its 16.8MW Goto Islands floating wind project, located off the Nagasaki prefecture, will not commence commercial operations until January 2026, a delay from the originally planned start date of January next year. This setback is primarily attributed to "a delay in the construction process caused by the discovery of defects in the floating structure."

The company revealed that it successfully obtained approval from two Japanese government ministries to revise the project's start date to accommodate the necessary corrections.

In response to the structural issues, Toda Corporation stated, "We have already confirmed the facts, investigated the causes, and considered countermeasures, and have taken corrective measures for the defects in the two floating structures and restarted construction work at the onshore yard."

Toda Corporation also indicated its intent to inspect one of the three floating structures already installed offshore to "verify the existence of defects." Based on this inspection's findings, a decision will be made regarding the remaining two structures.

The costs associated with rectifying the structural defects have been recorded as a loss for the fiscal year ending March 2023.

The consortium led by Toda Corporation secured Japan's inaugural offshore wind tender in 2021, which marked a significant milestone in the nation's renewable energy journey. Notable members of this consortium include prominent entities such as oil companies Eneos and Inpex, Osaka Gas, Kansai Electric Power, and Chubu Electric.

The Toda-led project aims to deploy eight Hitachi 2.1MW turbines on spar-type floating platforms, representing a substantial step forward in Japan's renewable energy ambitions.

The Goto Islands project signifies Japan's return to floating wind technology, following the pioneering Fukushima Forward project, which was a global leader from 2013 but has since been decommissioned.

Goto Islands is a pivotal project under Japan's General Waters program, designed to stimulate significant offshore wind construction in the Asian nation and strengthen its position in the renewable energy sector.