Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The offshore construction phase of the Akita Noshiro Offshore Wind Farm project began on April 28 with the send-off ceremony for the installation vessel Seajacks Zaratan.
When completed, the 139 megawatt wind farm is expected to be the first of its kind in Japan that has been established on a commercial basis. The current schedule calls for the completion of construction and the beginning of commercial operations at the end of 2022.
In the meantime, plans call for the installation of 33 Vestas V117, 4.2 megawatt wind turbine units offshore from Akita Port and Noshiro Port in the Sea of Japan. The crew of Seajacks Zaratan will perform the installations.
The wind farm project is being developed by a consortium led by the Marubeni Corporation, also including Akita Bank, Chubu Electric Power, Cosmo Eco Power, Kanpu, Kansai Electric Power, Kato Construction, Kyowa Co., Obayashi Corporation, Sankyo, Sawakigumi Corporation, and Tohoku Sustainable & Renewable Energy.
The Japanese government has targeted wind power for significant growth in the coming decades as the nation shifts toward renewable energy sources.