Pioneering Japan’s First Floating Wind Farm

Off the shore of Goto City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, lies the Goto Floating Wind farm - the very first commercial scale floating offshore wind farm in Japan.

With a 16.8 MW capacity consisting of eight Hitachi 2.1 MW turbines, it marks a significant step towards targets set by the Japanese Government of installing 10 GW of offshore wind power capacity by 2030 and up to 45 GW by 2040. 

It is the pinnacle project being developed by a consortium led by Toda Corporation, which is made up of Eneos Corporation, Osaka Gas, Inpex Corporation, Kansai Electric Power, and Chubu Electric Power. And, with the expertise of K2 Management in the role of Technical Advisor, the project is set to mark another achievement for the development of Japan’s strong offshore wind sector. 

With a range of topographical constraints that limit the development of its onshore renewable energy sites, Japan’s potential for renewable energy growth lies in its offshore market. The country has already expressed its commitment to the development of offshore wind energy via the number of upcoming leasing rounds it has made available. Via the Goto Floating Wind Farm, K2 Management is helping Japan take a great step towards its goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. 

Part of reaching this goal lies in the nurturing of relationships, with the emerging Japanese offshore wind industry securing the confidence of investors and lenders. By leveraging K2 Management’s expertise, project leaders are successfully achieving the commitment of stakeholders with the implementation of best-in-class risk assessments and due diligence in early-stage project development. In turn, this is not only supporting the successful ongoing development of the Goto site, but also securing a promising future for Japan’s other offshore wind farm developments. 

As the Technical Advisor of Japan’s Goto Floating Wind Farm, K2 Management has provided pre-construction technical due diligence on all technical aspects of the project, with a particular emphasis on the risks associated with floating wind technology and the Japanese market. Between 2020 and 2022, K2 Management has supported investors, developers, and lenders on Japanese offshore wind projects with a total intended capacity of more than 4.5GW, all at various stages of development. 

K2 Management has worked closely on various aspects of the project’s development, which is currently ongoing. With a specialist, local knowledge of Japan’s offshore wind market, regulations and policies, K2 Management has, according to Rahul Kohli, Senior Consultant and Project Manager, provided unique insights: “We aspire to bring value to our clients by combining our technical advisory and project experiences from global floating projects with our local knowledge of Japanese requirements.” 

We look forward to supporting the Goto Floating Wind Farm at this exciting time in offshore wind innovation, ready for completion and operation in 2026.