Offshore Wind Profiling to Start for Future Wind Farm Installation

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and the University of Tokyo are gearing up for a new project to investigate offshore wind power using a wind observation system off the Pacific coast of Japan, according to their news release on August 17, 2009. The project is run by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) as part of its program to stimulate technological research and development of offshore wind power generation. Among project participants recruited by NEDO, TEPCO and the University of Tokyo successfully won the contract, by drawing on its experience in fundamental research on offshore wind turbines.

The project is scheduled to be carried out from August 2009 through March 2014, using an offshore observation tower placed off the south coast of Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture. Sensors attached to the tower will measure surface wind and wave conditions, along with possible impacts of the tower structure on the marine environment.

Findings from the project, together with the results from future offshore wind turbine trials planned by NEDO for FY 2009 and after, are expected to be used to establish technologies for offshore wind turbines specially suited to Japan's climate.

Japanese Companies Test System to Stabilize Output from Wind Power (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026793.html
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) official website
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/index-e.html

Posted: 2009/11/22 06:00:15 AM

TAG Energy , Non-manufacturing industry , Technology , University/Research institute