Japan to turn to wind turbines to fill the nuclear void.
They may be looking to turn their power stations back on, but Japan only sees it as a short term solution. They plan to become the world leaders in offshore wind, developing floating turbine technology to replace their nuclear plants.
They may be looking to turn their power stations back on, but Japan only sees it as a short term solution. They plan to become the world leaders in offshore wind, developing floating turbine technology to replace their nuclear plants. Currently wind energy only accounts for 1% of their energy production.
Trade ministry official Masanori Sato states, “In order to take lead in offshore wind power, we want domestic studies and developments to take place and manufacturers to boost capabilities,” said Sato. “From the viewpoint of supporting reconstruction and promoting wind power, we believe it is good to pursue research and development for offshore wind farms.”
Hundreds of millions of dollars are set to be invested over the next five years to develop floating turbines off the north-east coast. The investment is to be part of a massive investment plan designed to rebuild the north-east coast, which was devastated earlier in the year.
By 2020 Japan hopes to develop 1,000 MW of capacity of the Fukushima coast, which is far greater than any floating wind power plant ever built, with most only being in the pilot stages. Floating turbines are better to suited to Japans coast, which has particularly deep water making traditional offshore turbines difficult.
