Japanese shipowner Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has invested in a floating wind technology start-up, TouchWind.
The tilting-angled one-piece rotor wind turbine being developed by TouchWind is expected to reduce wind interference between wind turbines that tends to occur in large wind farms and improve overall wind farm power generation efficiency.
In addition, its design enables the wind turbines to operate in strong winds, reduces the weight of the wind turbine and floating parts, and is expected to improve the utilization rate and the economics of the wind turbine equipment through their lifecycle.
Since 2019, TouchWind has been conducting tests to demonstrate the principle of its wind turbine technology with the help of grants from the Government of the Netherlands and supporting companies.
In July 2023, the start-up received a grant to manufacture up to ten 6m-diameter wind turbines with an output of 12 kW. From 2024 to 2025, the company will conduct tests to verify the effect of reducing wind interference between wind turbines on land and offshore Netherlands.
With the participation of investment in TouchWind, MOL will advance technology development for the practical application of its wind turbines and aim to acquire business opportunities within the supply chain of next-generation floating offshore wind turbines in Europe, Japan, and other Asian regions in the future.
