A six-company Japanese consortium has installed an experimental floating-axis wind turbine in a bay off Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, launching a one-year offshore demonstration in July 2026, according to the FAWT Consortium.
The unit pairs a vertical-axis turbine with three straight blades and a cylindrical floating foundation. It has a 9.3-metre rotor, a 1.7-metre-diameter foundation and maximum output of less than 20 kW.
Three mooring lines connected to seabed anchors hold the turbine in position. The trial will test the technical feasibility of the FAWT concept and validate numerical analysis and water-tank test results. The demonstrator will be decommissioned after the programme, followed by detailed inspections of each component. The findings will be used to identify long-term operating challenges and refine the design of larger systems.
The concept is intended to cut energy costs through a simpler structure and lower centre of gravity while supporting a domestic offshore wind supply chain. Japan has limited shallow-water areas suitable for bottom-fixed turbines, while conventional horizontal-axis floating designs require larger foundations and mooring systems.
The partners plan to combine the trial results with ongoing scale-up studies to advance a megawatt-class demonstrator and eventual commercial deployment. The consortium said FAWT has the potential to be a “game changer” for floating offshore wind.
The partners signed a joint research agreement for the small-scale demonstration on 30 May 2023. The consortium was selected for NEDO’s next-generation floating offshore wind technology development project on 11 September 2024.
Electric Power Development Co Ltd is headquartered in Tokyo’s Chuo ward.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc is headquartered in Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward.
Chubu Electric Power Co Inc is headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd is headquartered in Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward.
Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd is headquartered in Tokyo’s Shinagawa ward.
Albatross Technology Inc is headquartered in Tokyo’s Chuo ward.