Japan Enters New Offshore Wind Era as First Akita Noshiro Turbines Sail Out

Wind farm installation vessel Seajacks Zaratan has left Akita Port in Japan loaded with the first sets of wind turbine components to be installed on the 140 MW Akita Noshiro offshore wind farm.

Akita Noshiro comprises two sites off Akita Port and Noshiro Port. In total, the two wind farms will feature 33 MHI Vesta V117-4.2 MW wind turbines, 20 off Noshiro Port and 13 off Akita Port, installed on monopile foundations.

The monopile foundations were also installed by Seajacks Zaratan.

The Akita Noshiro will be the first commercial-size, fixed-bottom wind farm in Japan and a second for Seajacks Zaratan in Asia following on from the Formosa 1 phase 2 project in Taiwan.

The project is being developed by Akita Offshore Wind Corporation, a consortium led by Marubeni which also includes Obayashi Corporation, Tohoku Sustainable & Renewable Energy, Cosmo Eco Power, The Kansai Electric Power, Chubu Electric Power, The Akita Bank, Ohmori, Sawakigumi Corporation, Kyowa Oil, Katokensetsu, Kanpu, and Sankyo.

Kajima Corporation is the project’s EPCI contractor. The two wind farms are scheduled to be operational in 2022. The project has a 20-year power purchase agreement with Tohoku Electric power for the entire output.

Seajacks Zaratan is operated by Seajacks Japan LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the UK-based Seajacks International which was acquired by Eneti in August 2021.

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