Tokyo Gas joins Ocean Winds in pioneering floating project

Tokyo Gas bought a stake in the pioneering WindFloat Atlantic array, marking its first direct investment in a floating wind project outside Japan and one it said would help build capability in the technology.

The Japanese group took a 21.2% share in Windplus, the project company that operates the 25MW project in Portuguese waters. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Tokyo Gas joins majority owner Ocean Winds, which now has a reduced 65.17% stake in the project, and Spanish oil group Repsol, which remains a 13.63% shareholder.

Tokyo Gas is already a partner alongside Ocean Winds in Principle Power, the floating wind platform pioneer on which WindFloat Atlantic’s trio of 8.4MW turbines have been spinning since 2020 in deep waters 20km off northern Portugal.

The Japanese group said: “We will utilise the knowledge and experience gained from participating in this project to work towards the large-scale commercialisation of floating offshore wind power in Japan.”

Tokyo Gas has already laid down a marker for its offshore wind ambitions at home and abroad.

The depth of waters off much of Japan makes floating a crucial part of the nation’s plans to allocate up to 45GW of offshore wind by 2040. Japan is also poised to open for potential floating development the seas beyond its territorial waters in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Craig Windram, CEO of Ocean Winds, itself a joint venture between EDPR and Engie, said: “This collaboration has the potential to advance floating offshore wind development in Japan, contribute to the country’s renewable energy goals and foster a resilient and environmentally conscious energy landscape for future generations.”