The Floating Axis Wind Turbine (FAWT) consortium, comprising six Japanese companies, has deployed an experimental floating wind turbine in Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.
This initiative aims to establish a domestic supply chain for offshore wind energy. The project began in July 2026 and will run for one year.
The prototype features a vertical-axis wind turbine with three blades mounted on a cylindrical floating foundation.
The rotor’s diameter is 9.3 meters, with the floating foundation measuring 1.7 meters in diameter. It delivers a maximum output of under 20 kW and is stabilized by three mooring lines anchored to the seabed.
This demonstration will assess the technical viability of FAWT, alongside numerical analyses and water tank tests. Post-demonstration, the unit will be decommissioned and undergo detailed inspections to identify long-term operational challenges and improve future designs.
Expanding floating offshore wind systems is vital for Japan, which has limited shallow-water sites for traditional turbines. However, adapting conventional horizontal-axis turbines for floating systems presents challenges due to large foundations and costly mooring systems.
FAWT’s design, influenced by marine engineering, aims to lower costs by simplifying structures and reducing the center of gravity, supporting the development of domestic supply chains. The project’s results will inform the development of larger megawatt-class systems, paving the way for commercial deployment.
The consortium, which includes Electric Power Development Co., Ltd.; Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.; Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.; Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd.; Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.; and Albatross Technology Inc., plans to leverage its collective expertise to potentially revolutionize the floating offshore wind industry, contributing to a carbon-neutral future.
Original Story at www.offshorewind.biz