Recently, MOL Drybulk, a division of Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), has formalized an agreement with China’s Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering for the construction of a coastal carrier module. This will be the first of its kind in Japan, intended for the transportation of components required for the foundations of offshore wind turbines.
This new vessel is expected to be delivered in the spring of 2026, under a contract with JFE Engineering. Its purpose will be to transfer wind turbine foundations from JFE’s Kasaoka-shi factory, located in Okayama Prefecture, to installation sites in Japan.
With a length of 150 meters, the carrier will be operated by MOL Coastal Shipping under the supervision of MOL Drybulk. The latter company currently operates a 3,700-ton module transporter, which is dedicated to the transport of components for both onshore and offshore wind turbines, as well as marine plant and equipment cargo in the near-shore Asian region.
New coastal carrier module drives offshore wind farms
The new vessel will be equipped with a dynamic positioning system (DPS) and a flat deck designed to facilitate direct loading of wind turbine components. wind turbine components. These components include monopiles, towers, blades, nacelles and floating foundations, which can be loaded from the stern and sides of the ship using multi-axle trucks. In addition, the ship will have an electric propulsion system and battery pack, allowing it to transport components directly to self-elevating vessels at offshore wind construction sites.
Japan currently has six offshore wind farms in operation, two of which are large-scale: Noshiro Port project with 84 MW and Akita Port project with 54.6 MW. At the end of last year, the country had an installed offshore wind capacity of 153.5 MW, excluding semi-offshore wind farms accessible from the coasts.
It is known that in March 2024, the Japanese Government approved an amendment to the “Marine Area Utilization Promotion Act”, extending the area for offshore wind power installation to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This amendment will allow the construction of wind farms in areas further out to sea compared to the current territorial and internal waters.
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Source and photo: offshorewind.biz
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