nuclear-news

Wind turbine at Fukushima switched on

24 Nov 2013

http://www.machinery-market.co.uk/news/4741/Wind-turbine-at-Fukushima-switched-on

The first turbine at a wind farm 20km off the coast of Fukushima is now feeding electricity to the grid linked to the tsunami-crippled nuclear plant onshore. The wind farm will have a generating capacity of 1GW from 143 turbines; it will help to restore the role of energy supplier to a region decimated by the earthquake and tsunamiin 2011.

Kazuyoshi Akaba — a vice-minister of economy, trade and industry — said: “Many people were victimised and hurt by the accident at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant, so it is very meaningful to have a new source of energy — renewable energy — based here.”

Japan, whose coast is mostly ringed by deep waters, is pioneering floating wind turbines, suitable for seas more than 50m deep. The 2MW floating turbine in question was built at a dry dock near Tokyo and towed to its location off the north-eastern coast. Six huge chains anchor it to the sea bed some 120m below.

The turbine is linked to a 66kV floating sub-station — the world’s first, according to the project operators — via an extra-high-voltage under-sea cable. There could eventually be dozens of wind turbines off Fukushima’s scenic but deserted coast. The project is meant to demonstrate the feasibility of locating these towering turbines offshore in places where the winds are more reliable and there are fewer “not in my backyard” concerns.

In theory, Japan has the potential for 1,600GW of wind power, most of it offshore. About a dozen projects are already in progress, from Kyushu in the south to Hokkaido in the north.

November 25, 2013 - Posted by arclight2011part2 | Uncategorized