Japan Launches Its First Commercial Floating Offshore Wind Farm at Goto

Toda Construction announced that its consortium has commenced commercial operations at the Goto Offshore Wind Farm in Nagasaki Prefecture, marking Japan’s first-ever commercial floating offshore wind project. 

Officially certified under Japan’s Marine Renewable Energy Sea-Area Utilisation Act, the 16.8 megawatt (MW) facility makes Japan one of the nations advancing floating wind from pilot to full-scale deployment.

The announcement comes as Japan strives to scale up renewable energy generation to achieve its 2050 carbon-neutral target. The project’s launch signifies a major step in transitioning from demonstration projects to commercially viable offshore wind infrastructure.

Advanced Floating Technology

Located off Goto City, the wind farm consists of eight 2.1 MW turbines mounted on floating platforms designed for deepwater deployment - conditions typical of Japan’s steep coastal geography that limit fixed-bottom turbine installations.

At the heart of the project is Toda’s hybrid spar-type foundation, which “features a steel upper section and a concrete lower section.” 

Toda Corporation highlighted that this represents ‘the world’s first commercial application of hybrid spar-type floater technology,’ demonstrating Japan’s growing engineering prowess in offshore wind.

Consortium and Development Timeline

The Goto Floating Wind Farm was developed by a consortium of six Japanese industrial and energy companies - TODA Corporation, ENEOS Renewable Energy Corporation, Osaka Gas, INPEX, Kansai Electric Power, and Chubu Electric Power. The consortium established a special-purpose company in 2021 after securing the site in a government tender.

The project has been in development for nearly seven years. The Goto offshore area was designated as a marine renewable energy promotion zone in 2019, followed by an official tender in 2020. Construction began in 2022 after national certification and permitting, culminating in today’s commercial launch.

Floating Wind in Japan’s Broader Energy Strategy

Japan has set ambitious offshore wind goals - 10 GW by 2030 and 45 GW by 2040, including at least 15 GW from floating installations across its vast exclusive economic zone, one of the world’s largest.

However, the sector faces rising cost pressures and developer withdrawals, adding uncertainty to the deployment pipeline. Despite these challenges, floating wind remains central to Japan’s decarbonization strategy due to its adaptability to deepwater conditions.