Japan’s First Commercial Floating Offshore Wind Farm Starts Operations

Japan has started commercial operations at its first floating offshore wind farm. The Goto Offshore Wind Farm, located off Goto City in Nagasaki Prefecture, entered full commercial operation on 5 January 2026, according to the consortium operating the project.

The 16.8 MW floating wind farm is owned and operated by Goto Floating Wind Farm LLC, a consortium led by Toda Corporation.

Other members include ENEOS Renewable Energy Corporation, Chubu Electric Power, INPEX Corporation, Osaka Gas, and Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO).

The project is Japan’s first commercial floating offshore wind farm and the first to be certified under the Marine Renewable Energy Sea-Area Utilisation Act.

The wind farm consists of eight offshore wind turbines, each with a capacity of 2.1 MW, supplied by Hitachi. The turbines are installed on hybrid SPAR-type floating foundations with a steel upper section and a concrete lower section.

These floating foundations were designed and built by Toda Corporation. The company has said this project represents the world’s first commercial use of hybrid SPAR-type floater technology.

The Goto Offshore Wind Farm is also the first project in Japan to receive certification from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism under the Marine Renewable Energy Sea-Area Utilisation Act, which came into effect in April 2019 to support offshore renewable energy projects.

Offshore construction began in October 2022, when the first floating foundation was transported from Fukue Port to the offshore site near Kabashima.

The consortium was selected as the winning bidder in Japan’s first offshore wind auction held under the new law.

The project partners have noted that many local companies were involved during the construction phase. Local businesses are also expected to take part in operations and maintenance work.

The consortium has stated that, following the principle of local energy production for local consumption, electricity from the wind farm will be supplied mainly to local retail electricity providers.

According to earlier project details, the electricity generated by the Goto floating wind farm will be sold to the grid at a price of JPY 36 per kilowatt-hour until the project reaches the end of its operational life in December 2043.

The start of commercial operations comes as Japan aims to expand its offshore wind capacity to meet its 2050 carbon-neutral target.

The country plans to develop 10 GW of offshore wind power by 2030 and has outlined a total offshore wind pipeline of 45 GW by 2040.

This includes at least 15 GW of floating offshore wind projects, reflecting Japan’s focus on using its large exclusive economic zone, the sixth largest in the world.

At the same time, Japan’s offshore wind sector is facing challenges such as rising costs and uncertainty, which have led some developers to withdraw from projects.

Reference: Reuters

Source: Maritime Shipping News