Japan Takes Leap Into Offshore Wind Energy
From Reve
Wind turbines have become a familiar sight in the blustery port of Choshi on the eastern tip of the Kanto Plain, but this 126-meter-tall machine is different.
Besides being one of the biggest wind turbines in Japan, it stands in the ocean, ready to take advantage of steady marine winds.
Its base firmly planted in the seabed, the giant windmill, ready to start operations early next year, represents a step forward in tapping the offshore wind power market that has already grown sharply abroad.
Experts say marine wind turbines have much more potential than their land-based counterparts in this small mountainous country, but there is still a long way to go before they become a major source of electricity.
Strong demand for zero emission energies have prompted efforts around the world to develop renewable energy, solar and wind in particular. Here, the Fukushima nuclear crisis has made such efforts an imperative.
