Press Release
Large Floating Spar adopted as NEDO Green Innovation Fund Project for Reducing the Cost of Offshore Wind Power Generation
~”Large Floating Spar” Floating Foundation/Low-Cost Installation Technology Development Project~

January 21, 2022

TEPCO Renewable Power, Inc.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.

Today, TEPCO Renewable Power, Inc. and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.’s “large floating spar” floating foundation/low-cost installation technology development project (hereinafter referred to as, “the project”) was adopted as a New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Green Innovation Fund project for reducing the cost of offshore wind power generation.

Offshore wind power generation is viewed as a trump card for using renewable energies as base load power sources and the Japanese government has set an ambitious goal of, “developing 30 million kW~45 million kW [of offshore wind power] by 2040.” In order to increase development of offshore wind farms in the seas around Japan, where shallow areas are limited, it is important to reduce the cost of floating foundations that match deep areas.

The project will consist of two phases, elemental technology development (Phase I) and floating offshore wind power generation demonstration (Phase II), of which Phase I has been adopted as a NEDO fund project. During Phase I, which will be implemented during FY2022~FY2023 (tentative), technology, such as optimal designs for floating foundations that match Japan’s harsh weather and sea conditions, and large wind turbines capable of producing 15,000 kW class of power, and manufacturing methods enabling mass production, etc., will be established. In conjunction with this, low-cost installation technology, such as technology for mounting wind turbines on floating foundations, and mooring the foundations, etc., will also be developed. Furthermore, in preparation for Phase II, which may begin as early as FY2023, the general designing of power generation systems and site development will also get underway.

The TEPCO Group has continually implemented measures to combat global warming, which it feels is a key business issue, and in light of the global trend towards carbon neutrality, we will contribute to promoting the development of renewable energies both within Japan and overseas in order to achieve our objective of reducing CO2 emissions originating from the supply of energy to essentially zero by the year 2050.