Siemens Gamesa provides “typhoon-proof generators” for wind challenge

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Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy is supplying 79 “typhoon-proof” turbines to a large onshore wind farm in Japan as the country seeks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and develop more renewable energy systems.

The 339.7 megawatt Dohuku project will be located on the island of Hokkaido, Siemens Gamesa announced in a statement on Wednesday and consists of four plants to be developed by Japan’s Eurus Energy.

The 4.3 MW turbines of the “Taifun class” are designed for the “very high wind speeds” in Japan, explained Siemens Gamesa.

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Last October, Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the country would target zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In April 2021, he said Japan would aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46% compared to 2013.

Much remains to be done to enable the country to achieve its goals. In 2019, the Natural Resources and Energy Agency said the country was “largely dependent on fossil fuels” such as coal, oil and liquefied natural gas.

An energy policy review of Japan published in March by the International Energy Agency set out the scale of the challenge: “To achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, Japan must significantly accelerate the use of low-carbon technologies, accelerate regulatory and institutional barriers and strengthen competition in its energy markets . ”

However, a number of interesting renewable energy projects have developed in the country this year. In February, a tidal turbine built and tested in Scotland was installed in waters off the island of Naru, which is part of the larger Goto island chain.

And in January it was announced that shipping giant Mitsui OSK Lines will be partnering with a company called Bombora Wave Power to identify potential project locations in Japan and the surrounding regions.