Japan is rapidly expanding its use of floating wind farms as it moves away from dirty fuel and embraces cleaner energy. According to Tech Xplore, the country reportedly calls offshore wind energy its "trump card" for achieving two key climate goals: generating most of its electricity from renewable sources by 2040 and reaching full carbon neutrality by 2050.
Because Japan's coastal waters are often too deep for fixed offshore turbines, floating structures are a better fit for the region — plus they're more resilient to natural disasters like earthquakes or typhoons. Japan plans for floating wind farms to generate 4%-8% of its electricity by 2040, a significant increase from about 1% today. To meet that target, around 200 15-megawatt turbines need to go online every single year.
But according to a new AFP report, the country's wind farm projects are experiencing some setbacks, including rising costs, a lack of infrastructure, technical delays, and regulatory hurdles.
Japan's first large-scale floating wind project, featuring eight turbines off the Goto Islands, is scheduled to begin operating in January — but it hasn't been without setbacks. AFP reported that technical problems, including defects in the floating structure, delayed the project by two years.
Hidenori Yonekura, a representative from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, told AFP that "the infrastructure is not yet in place" for ambitious floating wind farm projects like those off Goto, warning that Japan "lacks turbine manufacturers and large production sites."
Rising costs are also a concern. In August, Mitsubishi withdrew from three major wind power projects, citing them as unprofitable. Other developers have since called on the government to provide stronger financial and policy support for the industry.
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"It is important for the government to address shortcomings in the current bidding system, which failed to anticipate rapid global inflation after bids were awarded," Yoko Mulholland, senior policy adviser at think tank E3G, told AFP.
Because of the delays, key relationships with area fishers are becoming fractured. In some areas, fishers are hired to patrol wind farm construction zones with their boats. Other fishers are set to receive a share of the revenue from electricity sales and some of the property tax income from the projects to offset any economic losses to their livelihoods due to construction and aquatic disruption.
But as some companies scale back or delay projects, fishing associations have begun protesting, urging the government to keep these developments moving forward. As AFP reported, fishing has become less viable because of warming sea temperatures, so fishers are engaging in the project, hoping their children or grandchildren will find jobs in wind turbine maintenance. However, that will only be possible if the projects actually succeed.
Still, wind power provides clean, renewable energy that is key to addressing planet-warming pollution from dirty energy sources.
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Should we be harnessing the ocean to power our homes? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Absolutely 👍 A 2023 study from the Journal of Cleaner Production found that current global wind energy projects already help avoid 1.3 billion tons of carbon pollution from entering the atmosphere annually, the equivalent of removing more than 280 million cars from roads for a year. Offshore and floating wind farms, like those being developed in Japan, are particularly promising because they tap into stronger winds over the ocean, delivering consistent and stronger energy output.
Even with setbacks and hiccups, expanding wind power is essential to meeting national and international climate goals.
The International Energy Agency estimates that wind and solar together must account for nearly 70% of global electricity generation by 2050 to achieve net zero pollution levels. For this to happen, countries like Japan need to see through their offshore wind ambitions — and produce lasting results.
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