Japan’s First Commercial Offshore Wind Farm Takes Shape

All 33 offshore wind turbines have now been installed at Japan’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm.

The installation was carried out by Seajacks International’s Seajacks Zaratan jackup vessel at the Akita and Noshiro offshore wind farm situated off the Japanese Akita Prefecture.

The project, which is owned by Akita Offshore Wind Corporation (AOW), is the first commercial-scale fixed-bottom wind farm to be constructed in Japan. It is being constructed at two locations just off Akita Port and the nearby Noshiro Port.

The two locations have a total capacity of 140 megawatts (MW), enough to power approximately 150,000 homes. The power will be sold to Tohoku Electric Power Co. under a 20-year purchase agreement.

“The completion of the turbine installation at Akita and Noshiro is an achievement that all parties involved can be proud of. The project is a powerful demonstration of a successful collaboration between international partners to deliver a successful project outcome,” said Seajacks CEO, Blair Ainslie. “It is a testament to the capabilities of all parties, that the project has been completed safely and without any major incidents, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Commercial operations of the wind farm are planned to begin later this year.

UK-based Seajacks International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eneti Inc. (NYSE: NETI). The company owns and operates an advanced fleet of self-propelled jack-up vessels operating in offshore wind and oil and gas sectors.