Floating Windpower Partnership Formed

Japanese engineering giant Hitachi Zosen Corp and French marine renewables technology outfit  Naval Energies will work together in the field of floating wind power.

The French marine renewables specialist said in a press release that the two companies will design and build floating wind turbines with a capacity of several hundred megawatts off the Japanese coast using Naval Energies' semi-submersible floating solution, which is a concrete, steel or a hybrid combination fixed to the seabed by an anchoring system that controls its movements.

The project between the two companies is based on a feasibility study to jointly design and build floating wind turbines with a capacity of several hundred megawatts using Naval Energies’ semi-submersible floater solution off the Japanese coast.

Takashi Fujita, General Manager of Wind Power Business Unit at Hitachi Zosen Corporation said: “Among all floaters developed in the world, we consider that Naval Energies’ semi-submersible floater, which has many advantages, is one of the best on the market. We appreciate that Naval Energies is participating with us in this feasibility study and we hope that Naval Energies and Hitachi Zosen will contribute to the development of an industrial floating wind energy industry in Japan.”

Laurent Schneider-Maunoury, President of Naval Energies said: “We are very proud to have been selected by Hitachi Zosen for this study and look forward to continuing our collaboration with the objective of becoming an industrial partner for the design and manufacture of floaters."

Laurent said: "The environmental conditions in Japan are very favorable for the installation of this technology and we have all the necessary know-how for the local development of this new industrial sector. We hope that this step is the first of a long-lasting and fruitful collaboration between our two companies.”