A consortium of six Japanese companies has installed an experimental floating axis wind turbine (FAWT) in Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture. The project aims to develop a lower-cost floating offshore wind concept supported by a domestic supply chain.
The demonstrator features a vertical-axis wind turbine with three straight blades mounted on a cylindrical floating foundation. The rotor has a diameter of 9.3 metres, while the floating foundation is 1.7 metres in diameter. The turbine has a maximum output of less than 20 kW and is secured by three mooring lines connected to seabed anchors.
The trial will assess the technical feasibility of the design and validate numerical modelling and water tank test results. After the demonstration, the turbine will be decommissioned and its components inspected.
The FAWT concept is intended to reduce the cost of energy by simplifying the structure and lowering the centre of gravity. Results from the project will support the development of MW-class demonstration systems, with the long-term aim of commercial deployment.
The consortium comprises Electric Power Development, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Chubu Electric Power, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Sumitomo Heavy Industries and Albatross Technology.
