Japan’s Penta-Ocean Construction has been selected as the preferred bidder for the construction of wind turbine foundations and marine civil engineering works for the Kitakyushu Hibiki-nada offshore wind farm project.
Penta-Ocean Construction was also selected for base port construction for operations and maintenance of the wind farm, the company said.
Back in February 2017, the government of Kitakyushu City selected the consortium of Kyuden Mirai Energy, Kyuden Corporation, Hokutaku Renewable Energy Service, J-Power, and Saibu Gas to build the Hibiki-nada project.
The tender winners established the special purpose company, Hibiki Wind Energy, shortly after to develop the project.
The 220 MW Kitakyushu Hibiki-nada will comprise 25 9.6 MW wind turbines, most likely the pre-selected Vestas V174 model , installed on a 2,700ha site within the port area of the Hibikinada district of the Port of Kitakyushu.
Penta-Ocean Construction said that preparations for this project are already underway, with the aim of starting construction within FY 2022. The wind farm is expected to be commissioned in 2025.
The company plans to deploy its offshore installation vessel ”equipped with a large crane for the transportation and installation of foundations and wind turbines.”
Penta-Ocean Construction currently owns the CP-8001 jack-up with an 800t lifting capacity, and is currently constructing the CP-16001 jack-up with a 1,600t lifting capacity in a joint-ownership with Kajima Corporation and Yorigami Maritime Construction, scheduled to be operational in March 2023.
The company also plans to jointly own the third vessel with a 1,600t lifting capacity, scheduled to be operational in 2025, with DEME Offshore.