New super-size jack-up to boost Japan’s offshore wind sector
Illustration of the jack-up vessel (Source: Shimizu Corp)
A 28,000gt wind turbine installation vessel, under construction at Japan Marine United Corporation for Toyo-based Shimuzu Corporation, will set a new record for lifting and carrying capacity.
Due for delivery in 2022, the 142m-long jack-up unit will be able to transport and install seven 8-MW turbines in a single voyage. Capable of working in water depths ranging between 10m and 65m, the vessel will have a 2,500-tonne crane with a maximum lifting height of 158m.
Automation company ABB has been contracted to provide the vessel’s closed-loop dynamic positioning system, generators, a high-voltage switchboard, variable speed drives, the motors for main propulsion and thrusters, and a Power and Energy Management System. The jack-up unit will be delivered at a time of rapid offshore wind expansion in Japan. The Government recently approved the construction of wind farms further from shore and energy consultant Wood Mackenzie has estimated that Japan’s offshore wind capacity could reach 4GW by 2028, a 62-fold increase compared with 2018.
