Righted 5MW floater on course to Fukushima

JAPAN: A 5MW wind turbine on a floating platform that keeled over in Osaka Bay in mid-May finally began its trip to the Fukushima test site at the weekend.

by Martin Foster 4 July 2016

The 5MW Hitachi turbine is being towed 950km to the Fukushima test site

Known as the Fukushima Hamakaze, the three-bladed turbine produced by Hitachi rises 150 metres from the surface of the sea.

It is being towed by four tugboats at a speed of 3-4 knots per hour to the Fukushima demonstration project, approximately 950km from the assembly site, and delivery is scheduled for 8 July.

Assembly work was carried out by Japan Marine United Corporation and Hitachi in southern Japan.

The floating platform was constructed in shipping yards owned by Hitachi Zosen — not part of Hitachi — in Sakai, but keeled in waters off Sumoto port, before being righted on 14 May.

The 5MW Hitachi-made turbine is the last of three to be installed at the Fukushima Forward test site, off north-east mainland Japan.

Both Japan Marine United Corporation and Hitachi are members of the 11-company Fukushima Forward consortium.