Current:Home > InvestJapan Plans Floating Wind Turbines for Tsunami-Stricken Fukushima Coast -ValueCore
Japan Plans Floating Wind Turbines for Tsunami-Stricken Fukushima Coast
Poinbank View
Date:2025-04-11 11:22:33
Japan will join the race to develop floating wind turbines to use in deepwater off its tsunami-stricken northern Pacific coast as it rethinks energy sources after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
It aims to outpace the leaders in the sector in Europe, trade ministry official Masanori Sato said on Tuesday.
“In order to take lead in offshore wind power, we want domestic studies and developments to take place and manufacturers to boost capabilities,” said Sato.
“From the viewpoint of supporting reconstruction and promoting wind power, we believe it is good to pursue research and development for offshore wind farms,” he said.
In the next five years, Japan plans to spend 10 to 20 billion yen ($130 to $260 million) to install six or more floating turbines off the northeast coast. It will work with firms including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries, Sato said.
Globally, Norway leads the way on floating turbines with a 2009 pilot project while other countries including Britain and Portugal have studied the technology.
Japan is compiling a third emergency budget likely to be more than 10 trillion yen ($130 billion) to rebuild its northeastern coast after the earthquake and tsunami hit in March, leaving 20,000 dead or missing and triggering the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Last month its parliament enacted a bill to promote investment in renewables.
Japan, one of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters, has been studying whether it can install conventional offshore wind turbines in an effort to cut its carbon emissions but thinks floated turbines could suit its waters better.
After the initial five-year programme, the trade ministry hopes to develop as early as 2020 an offshore wind farm off the northeastern coast with the capacity of about 1,000 Megawatts, said Hiroyuki Iijima, another official at the trade ministry.
But its success depends on the profitability of floating turbines as well as winning over local fishermen, Iijima added.
Wind power accounts for less than 1 percent of Japan’s power demand. A government panel is set to start reviewing as early as this month Japan’s energy targets. It had aimed to boost nuclear capacity to meet over half of power demand by 2030 by building 13 new reactors.
Atomic power helped meet some 30 percent of Japan’s power prior to the quake. Only 11 out of 54 nuclear reactors are operating now as reactors halted for maintenance checks have been kept shut.
(Editing by William Hardy)
veryGood! (67)
Related
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Stock analysts who got it wrong last year predict a soft landing in 2024
- Barry Manilow loved his 'crazy' year: Las Vegas, Broadway and a NBC holiday special
- Taylor Swift said Travis Kelce is 'metal as hell.' Here is what it means.
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- Michigan school shooting victims to speak as teen faces possible life sentence
- More than 70 million people face increased threats from sea level rise worldwide
- Top-ranking Democrat won’t seek reelection next year in GOP-dominated Kentucky House
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- US Sen. Kevin Cramer’s son makes court appearance after crash that killed North Dakota deputy
Ranking
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Tulane University students build specially designed wheelchairs for children with disabilities
- Michigan State selects UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor as next president
- An extremely rare white leucistic alligator is born at a Florida reptile park
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- AP Week in Pictures: Global | Dec. 1 - Dec. 7, 2023
- André 3000's new instrumental album marks departure from OutKast rap roots: Life changes, life moves on
- Michigan State selects UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor as next president
Recommendation
Sam Taylor
Texas teen struck, killed by semi after getting off school bus; driver charged with homicide
Mexico raids and closes 31 pharmacies in Ensenada that were selling fentanyl-laced pills
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco ruled out of Sunday's game vs. Bills with shoulder injury
The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
Every college football conference's biggest surprises and disappointments in 2023
Pritzker signs law lifting moratorium on nuclear reactors
Top-ranking Democrat won’t seek reelection next year in GOP-dominated Kentucky House