A consortium of five companies—Albatross Technology , Electric Power Development , Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings,  Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, , and Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & Engineering —has been selected to conduct a feasibility study on large-scale floating vertical axis wind turbines as part of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization’s  public call for projects to develop next-generation technologies that help promote the adoption of floating offshore wind power.

As Japan pushes to make renewable energy a primary power source, expectations for offshore wind power are high. Given the limited shallow coastal waters around Japan, there is a pressing need to commercialize floating offshore wind technology.

This feasibility study aims to verify the viability of large-scale commercial vertical axis (floating axis) wind turbines, where both the turbine and floating foundation rotate together, as a game-changing next-generation technology for floating offshore wind turbines. The consortium will conduct design work toward obtaining basic design approval. Large-scale vertical axis wind turbines can achieve efficiency comparable to conventional (horizontal axis) wind turbines, while also enabling the use of smaller and more cost-effective floating structures. Furthermore, as they can be produced using nearly the same design regardless of differences in water depth or seabed conditions, it is expected that mass deployment will also lead to cost reductions.

Leveraging each company’s respective expertise, the five companies will collaborate on developing floating axis wind turbines, aiming to establish offshore wind power as a primary energy source and contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society.