Japanese Demo Offshore Wind Unit Set For Decommissioning

Japan’s Penta-Ocean Construction is preparing to remove a bottom-fixed foundation type wind turbine and an observation tower off the coast of Kitakyushu.

The decommissioning is scheduled to take place in October.

Back in 2011, Penta Ocean constructed the 2MW wind turbine and the wind observation tower as part of a joint research project of National Research and Development Agency New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and  J-Power.

The “gearless type” wind turbine started operating off the coast of Wakamatsu-ku in June 2013. It is installed on a “hybrid gravity type” jacket foundation 1.4 kilometres offshore in 14-metre depth.

The wind turbine and the observation tower were installed to collect data on the forces acting on the substructures and on the operation and maintenance of the wind turbine to allow verification of the offshore wind power generation appropriate to conditions in Japan, according to NEDO.

Penta Ocean will utilize the company-owned CP-8001, multi-purpose self-elevating platform (SEP) equipped with a large crane to remove the wind turbine and the observation tower.

Completed in December 2018, CP-8001 is the first Japanese multipurpose SEP equipped with a large fully-revolving crane, having a lifting capacity of 800 tons, according to Penta Ocean.

”We will endeavor to capitalize on the extensive expertise accumulated from this removal work for future offshore wind power generation farm projects,” Penta Ocean said.