Marine Power Systems have appointed Toshiya Tomita as Country Director, Japan to build on the progress already being made in the territory. Based in Tokyo, Tomita will continue to advance the opportunities maturing in the Japanese market, as well as identify partnerships and further synergies to develop the market there.
Offshore wind power generation is expected to be a major renewable energy source by 2050 in Japan, with the floating wind making a significant contribution to that energy mix. Floating offshore wind is receiving huge interest in Japan due to the limited area of seabed suitable for fixed-bottom wind turbines and the high population density in coastal regions. Japan has already built a significant floating wind track record through the early deployment of the technology as far back as 2011 and the Japanese Government has set a target to deliver 10GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.
MPS have already established a partnership with JGC Japan to deliver floating offshore wind platforms at commercial scale. Under this relationship, MPS’ floating wind platform technology, PelaFlex, and JGC Japan’s EPCI services will combine to jointly deliver floating offshore wind projects in Japan.
MPS is developing an offshore wind platform solution, called PelaFlex, for industrial-scale applications. The tension-legged platform design delivers a high degree of system stability, minimal seabed footprint, and zero tilt, reducing the wear and tear on the turbine and maximizing energy yields, and is wind turbine technology agnostic. This makes it an excellent choice for Japanese offshore wind farm developers who are looking to deliver rapid industrial-scale deployments in deep water.
The modular nature of MPS’ technology and structurally efficient tetrahedral design means the floating platform has only ten primary steel components and four distinct parts. PelaFlex has been designed to be manufactured and rapidly assembled by the existing supply chain. The platform’s low mass reduces quayside requirements, including load-bearing capacity and storage needs, and the shallow draught system removes the need for expensive dredging. Multiple launch options support a distributed port model for faster industrial-scale deployments and reduced specific port requirements.
Martin Carruth, Commercial Director at MPS commented, “Japan is an important floating offshore wind market that is quickly advancing its deployment targets. MPS’ modular, prefabricated solution is strongly positioned to achieve industrialisation and cost reduction goals using its developing network of local partners. This important milestone for MPS continues to advance our promising potential in Japan and to help Japan meet its floating wind ambitions.”
Toshiya Tomita, Country Director, Japan at MPS commented, “I’m delighted to be joining MPS at this very important time for the Japan offshore wind market. Japan’s renewable energy demand is forecast to increase significantly over the next decade. With limited seabed suitable for fixed bottom foundations, floating wind will play a key role in helping Japan meet its future energy needs. PelaFlex’s modular and scalable design plays into the strength of Japan’s existing industrial capability.”
Marine Power Systems exhibited at the Global Offshore Wind Summit 2023 in Kitakyushu, and they will be attending and speaking at Japan Wind Energy 2023 in Tokyo this week.