Japan Blue will test offshore wind floater technology on Brazilian pilot
Chinese turbine manufacturer Mingyang is also partner on a project that will test Japanese floater foundation technology in southern Brazilian waters
A Japanese-led consortium has announced plans for a floating offshore wind pilot in waters off the southern Brazilian coast, with backers saying they will want to test the capacity of a patented concrete foundation aimed at reducing costs and construction times.
The consortium, led by floating wind technology outfit Japan Blue Energy (JB Energy), has Chinese turbine manufacturer Mingyang among its partners, along with several Brazilian entities.
In a letter of intent signed in the regional offices of Brazilian renewable industry association Sindienergia, representatives of the Aura Sul Wind pilot consortium said their project will aim to demonstrate how JB Energy’s RaijinFloat semisubmersible foundation technology can lower costs and construction time using pre-cast and stressed concrete in prefrabricated modules.
The pilot will require an investment of $100m and will be built in Rio Grande, a port city which has already served as a hub for construction of floating structures for the oil and gas industry.
The southern region of Brazil has persistent strong winds and offers good grid connections to the country’s most populous and industrially developed regions.
Brazil's first offshore wind round, when it comes, is likely to focus on bottom-fixed opportunities rather than floating, although oil giant Petrobras has already shown interest in floating offshore wind from the perspective of decarbonising its own energy consumption offshore.
Japanese floating technology developers are also waiting keenly to see what their own government has in store for attracting developers to a planned fourth offshore wind tender.