MLIT Sets Technical Standards for Offshore Floating Wind Power

Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) announced on April 23, 2012, that it has established technical standards for ensuring the safety of offshore floating wind power facilities. By creating the standards, MLIT aims to help Japan take the lead on the international standardization of floating wind power facilities and enhance the international competitiveness of related industries, while promoting the expansion of offshore wind generation. By 2013, the ministry plans to formulate design guidelines (safety guidelines) that lay out specific design techniques and performance assessment methods.

The technical standards stipulate requirements for structures and equipment under the Ship Safety Act, with safety considerations for offshore floating wind generation facilities. The standards address two safety issues: ensuring safety in a stand-alone system and ensuring safety in emergency situations. The former requires that offshore floating wind generation facilities have the requisite structure and strength to endure the heaviest storms, winds, and waves that could occur in a 50-year period, as well as appropriate measures to prevent corrosion and capsizing during intended lifetime of the facilities. The latter requires appropriate anchoring methods to prevent drifting if one of the mooring cables were to become severed, and considerations for the effects of earthquakes and tsunamis.

In Japan, wind power brings hope in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Offshore wind is attracting particular attention due to its suitability to the geological layout of the country, which is surrounded by wide, open spaces of ocean with stable wind conditions. As part of the post-disaster reconstruction, an offshore floating wind farm demonstration project was launched off the coast of Fukushima in March 2012.

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Posted: 2012/08/09 06:00:15 AM

TAG Energy , Government