As part of its turn toward renewable energy after the nuclear plant disaster at Fukushima in March, Japan announced that being a leader in offshore wind will be part of the solution.
Japan says it will spend 20 billion yen ($260 million) to install six or more floating wind turbines off the coast of Fukushima in the next five years.
Floating wind turbines are used in deep waters – they are a new technology that requires extensive research and development.
"In order to take the lead in offshore wind power, we want domestic studies and developments to take place and manufacturers to boost capabilities," Trade ministry official Masanori Sato told Reuters.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries are among the companies the country plans to work with to boost R&D.
Norway is currently the world leader in floating turbines for offshore wind.
If the floating turbines prove to be profitable, Japan plans to build a 1000 megawatt (MW) wind farm off its northeast coast by 2020. The trade ministry notes they also have to work with fisherman for it to be viable.
Currently, wind supplies less than 1% of Japan’s electricity.
Meanwhile, Japan’s largest demonstration in years took place last week, when tens of thousands of protestors marched in Tokyo and called for an immediate closure of all of Japan’s nuclear reactors. The demonstrators also called for a new energy policy that focuses on renewables.
Before the Fukushima accident, Japan relied upon nuclear power for one-third of its energy supply. The government has since abandoned plans to increase its reliance on nuclear to 50%.
At the end of August, Japan delivered a a major breakthrough for the feed-in tariff movement worldwide, when its upper chamber approved a law implementing an aggressive renewable energy feed-in tariff policy, which would incentivize rapid growth of the industry there.
The law, which goes into effect July 2012, targets 30,000 MW of new renewable development within the next decade, nearly five times the 6,500 MW of wind, solar, and geothermal power currently operating in the country.
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