A six-company consortium in Japan has launched a demonstration project for a next-generation low-cost floating wind turbine aimed at enabling a fully domestic offshore wind supply chain.

The FAWT Consortium, comprising Electric Power Development, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Chubu Electric Power, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Sumitomo Heavy Industries and Albatross Technology, began testing the system in a bay of Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, in July 2026.

The one-year demonstration features a vertical-axis wind turbine with three straight blades mounted on a cylindrical floating foundation.

The experimental unit has a 9.3-metre rotor diameter, a 1.7-metre floating base diameter and a maximum output of under 20 kilowatts. It is secured using three mooring lines connected to seabed anchors.

The project will evaluate technical performance, design models and previous testing results, with detailed inspections planned after completion to identify improvements for future large-scale systems.

FAWT is designed to reduce offshore wind costs by simplifying structures and lowering the centre of gravity compared with conventional floating turbines.

The consortium aims to develop megawatt-scale systems for commercial deployment, supporting Japan’s renewable energy expansion and carbon-neutral goals. -OGN/TradeArabia News Service