Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (TEPCO) is launching its first commercial offshore wind turbine in Choshi, Japan, on 1 January 2019.
Located south of Choshi in the Chiba Prefecture, the MWT92/2.4 turbine has a 2.4MW rated output and is installed on a bottom-fixed foundation.
TEPCO began conducting research offshore Choshi in August 2009 under a public initiative launched by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
Since 2013, the two parties have been testing the country’s first offshore wind power generation facility. During the demonstration, test data was monitored with the aim of confirming technologies necessary to introduce and expand offshore wind projects.
The Japanese company said the demonstration brought experience in operating and maintaining the turbine in harsh weather and marine conditions, as well as ensuring equipment safety and resistance to damage from salt water, which as a result, proved the unit is safe and can be operated at a high capacity factor.
As a result, it was also confirmed that the fairly shallow depths and high winds along the Chiba coast offer excellent conditions for an offshore wind farm.
In mid-November, TEPCO began a seabed survey off the Chiba coast to ascertain the bedrock structure of the seabed for a possible project.
A boring survey offshore Choshi, Asahi, Sosa, and Yokoshibahikari will be carried out until the end of January 2019.