Four members of Relatec, Konagaya, Mito, Nakazato, and Kozuki, participated in the Global Offshore Wind Summit – Japan 2024, which was held in Hokkaido from September 9rd to 3th, 4. In this column, we will share our impressions of the event from each of our perspectives.
participant
Konagaya: CEO of Rera Tech Inc. As an academic researcher at Kobe University, he also conducts research on offshore wind condition surveys.
He also serves as director of the Mutsu Ogawara Marine Meteorological Observation Center (Inc.).
Mito: Conducts wind observation work, including LIDAR observations for wind power development, and also conducts multiple LIDAR-related research projects.
Nakazato: Responsible for a wide range of wind observations, analysis and simulations.
First month: In charge of wind simulation and analysis. Qualified weather forecaster.
What is GOWS-J?
Global Offshore Wind Summit – Japan(hereinafter referred to as GOWS-J) is being held annually since 2021 with the aim of leveraging the huge potential and strong industrial base of offshore wind power in Japan. During the event, industry experts and companies will gather to exchange information and discuss technological innovation, policies and business opportunities, aiming to support the growth of Japan's offshore wind market and contribute to achieving the goals of regional economic revitalization and decarbonization.
This was the fourth time the conference was held in Sapporo, and over 4 participants from 26 countries gathered. It was also the first time that the wind power councils of Japan, Korea and Taiwan gathered in one place.
Impressions of Relatec members
About the lecture
▼Topic Summary
- Taiwan leads APAC offshore wind industry, foreign companies establish presence
- Large-scale floating offshore wind power development gains momentum in the UK and France
- In Europe, the north is developing fixed structures, while the south is developing floating structures.
- It is important for Japan to come together to utilize its top-class technologies in shipbuilding and marine construction.
▼Members' impressions of the lecture
Kozuki:The discussion also delved into the economic, geographical, and political differences between different countries, providing an opportunity to think about the domestic market from a very broad perspective.
I was able to get many hints for future technical tasks from the talk on technical issues located upstream and downstream of the value chain, which I am not usually involved in. What particularly impressed me was the talk on "sea conditions." I usually focus on meteorological matters, but I realized that sea conditions are more important than I had expected when it comes to construction and operation.
Nakazato:It was interesting to compare the offshore wind industry overseas, especially between Europe and the APAC region. Taiwan's offshore wind industry is one or two steps ahead of the rest of APAC. Foreign companies are well established, and the government policies seem solid.
As overseas experts have pointed out, Japan has many companies with world-class technology in shipbuilding, marine engineering, and other fields, so I realized once again that it is important to bring together all of these technologies. In any case, we must avoid going against the trends overseas, in other words, becoming isolated in Japan.
Regarding the European market, it seems that large-scale development of floating offshore wind power is finally getting underway, especially in the UK and France. The situation in northern and southern Europe is different, with the northern part seeing large-scale fixed-bottom wind power development centered on the North Sea area, while the southern part sees the development of onshore wind power and floating offshore wind power. It seems that Japan's goal is close to the direction of southern Europe. With floating offshore wind power, the main players will likely change as well.
Meanwhile, in northern Europe, the development of floating offshore wind power is accelerating in countries such as Norway and Scotland, utilizing technology from North Sea oil fields, which is worthy of attention.
Konagaya:I learned a lot from the lecture by Mitsubishi UFJ Bank entitled "Offtake Strategy and Bankability in Offshore Wind Power Generation Projects."Wind Power Market PlayersI introduced the above, and focused on off-takers (the parties to which the generated electricity is sold).
As wind consultants, we predict the amount of electricity that a wind farm will generate, but if that electricity is not sold throughout the project period (20 years or more), the project will not be viable. It was a good opportunity to learn about the uncertainties (off-take risk) associated with selling electricity.
About the Exhibition
Nakazato:The main focus of the exhibition was talking to the booth staff, and it was a great opportunity to share information. Despite being a domestic event, there were many major overseas companies, and the number seems to be increasing every year.
Looking at the players in Japan, not only shipping, construction, and architecture-related companies, but also many organizations from a wide range of industries, such as finance and law firms, had booths set up, which gave us a real sense of the breadth of the offshore wind industry.
*Please note that this diagram shows a rough outline drawn by a wind consultant and does not depict the relationships between all the players.
Mito:I think that offshore wind farms are unique in that they have exhibits from organizations in different industries that use the sea as their field, such as maritime law firms. Many people were also familiar with the Graduate School of Maritime Sciences at Kobe University, with which Relatec is affiliated.
It was interesting to be introduced to tools to support the formulation of construction and O&M (operation and maintenance) plans, as well as GIS software that integrates and manages all data. In particular, wind and sea conditions in the ocean are important parameters for predicting offshore construction and O&M plans. I felt that Relatec's technology could be used to make high-quality predictions.
Also, from ReraTech's perspective, it was a great benefit to be able to talk to local companies in Hokkaido, where the event was held, and to connect with local electrical engineering companies involved in the observation work that ReraTech is responsible for.
Overall
Konagaya:I realized the importance of the domestic floating offshore wind market more than ever last year. In this context, I once again felt the need to clarify what Relatec should do in research and development in the field of wind conditions related to floating offshore wind power. Specifically, I would like to focus on establishing survey methods that can obtain reliable offshore wind condition data and on efforts in the O&M phase.
Kozuki:I felt that the exchange of opinions and interactions with other companies that are closely related to our business brought my thoughts to the surface more than usual interactions, which will lead to easier work and the creation of win-win relationships in the future. In addition, I had many opportunities to consider a third-party perspective, and it was very valuable in that it became easier to imagine the role that Relatec plays in the industry as a whole. It was also a very good opportunity to think about the skills that I should hone as an individual. I would like to absorb overseas examples and make a big step up in my technical skills.
Nakazato:While wind conditions are only a small part of the broad wind power industry, an error in estimation of a few percent can lead to losses of hundreds of millions of yen and directly impact the success or failure of a project. This reaffirmed the importance of highly accurate wind condition observation and analysis.
Offshore wind development requires a huge investment, and even just observing wind conditions is very costly compared to onshore development. Therefore, it is extremely important to verify the accuracy of observation equipment in advance, andMutsu Ogawara Offshore Wind Observation Test SiteI would like to continue to work energetically to increase awareness of the site and to increase the number of cases in which the site is used.
Mito:For me, the fact that there were not only people involved in wind surveys, but also many people from completely different fields such as environmental assessments and business development, gave me a meaningful opportunity to widen my circle of interactions.
As a next step for Relatec, we would like to move forward with the plan to enter the O&M field. In terms of hardware, it is essential to develop maintenance companies for each offshore wind farm that will continue for the next 20 years or more, and we are establishing GWO facilities in various parts of the country.(※ 1)Although certification centers are opening one after another, it seems that the soft side of things has yet to catch up, so I feel like there needs to be some kind of solution.
*1 GWO (Global Wind Organization)
A non-profit organization established in 2012, comprised of wind turbine manufacturers and facility owners such as GE, Vestas, and Siemens Gamesa, it develops and operates standardized training and certification programs with the aim of improving safety and quality standards in the wind power industry.
Summary
GOWS-J 2024 allowed us to interact with various players involved in the Japanese wind power market and learn about the current state of the global market. It was a time that made us think again about what Relatec can contribute to the ever-changing offshore wind power market.
As wind condition consultants, Rera Tech Inc. will conduct optimal wind condition surveys that combine "observation" and "estimation" for wind power generation. Please feel free to contact us if you have any inquiries regarding wind conditions.
Reference
Japan Wind Power Association to Host Global Offshore Wind Summit – Japan 2024
2024/ 9/ 6
https://jwpa.jp/information/10689/
Mutsu Ogawara Offshore Wind Observation Test Site
https://mo-testsite.com
RX JAPAN Co., Ltd., WIND EXPO
https://www.wsew.jp/hub/ja-jp/about/wd.html