Sumitomo Corporation and JGC Japan Holdings Corporation have entered into an agreement to explore collaboration in the design, manufacture, and delivery of structural components for floating offshore wind projects. The partnership aims to establish a supply chain that reduces costs, enhances efficiency, and achieves mass production by leveraging the strengths of both companies.
The focus will be on detailed models of floater components based on floating foundation designs. Additionally, the development of steel and shipbuilding manufacturers as partners for the manufacture of floater parts, order placement, and manufacturing management will be examined. The transportation of components to base ports for offshore wind power generation will also be investigated.
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Global floating wind power generation capacity is projected to rise from approximately 0.2GW in 2022 to 269GW by 2050, with about 800 new units expected to be installed annually by mid-century. The supply of floater components is struggling to keep up with the increasing demand for offshore wind turbines, potentially creating a bottleneck in the expansion of the floating wind power market, the companies stated.
Sumitomo Corporation, an active investor in offshore wind power, has invested in companies owning heavy lift vessels in the Netherlands and vessels transporting engineers and equipment to wind turbines in Norway. It also leads a consortium for a power generation project off the coast of Enoshima Island in Saikai, Nagasaki Prefecture, and is in discussions with Oshima Shipbuilding to utilize its large-scale shipbuilding facilities and mass production technology for manufacturing floating structures.
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In 2018, the JGC Group established a department dedicated to offshore wind power generation, positioning it as a focus area for energy transition within its long-term management 2040 Vision.
Sumitomo Corporation Group and JGC Group will continue to explore the establishment of a supply chain for offshore wind power generation from various perspectives, aiming to realize a carbon-neutral society.
