On the 1st of July, East Winds Asia (EWindsA), headquartered in Minato Ward, Tokyo, began offering support services provided by experts to offshore wind power operators and those considering entering the field. The company’s staff boasts over 30 years of practical experience in offshore wind power, maritime transportation, and the transportation and installation of heavy equipment. The company plans to expand its support for operators involved in offshore wind power projects, which are advancing in regions such as Hokkaido and Tohoku.
(Text by Hirofumi Yamamoto)
EWindsA has a main member for Justus Schoemaker, who holds a degree in Maritime Distribution Management, has 13 years of experience working onboard ships, and has been advancing business promotion between the Netherlands and Japan. Additionally, Masamori Shibuta, with extensive experience in oil and gas projects, ship towing, and establishing ship management companies, serves as the president of Shibuta Shipping, headquartered in Monbetsu, Hokkaido is also a main member of EWindsA
In launching a new service, EWindsA has appointed Keisuke Miura, who has over 40 years of experience in the heavy transport and installation industry, as a senior advisor. This move marks their foray into supporting offshore wind power projects.
The specifics of the new service include bellow items, such as: 1. Engineering support for project planning and implementation, 2. Conducting in-house training for basic planning of offshore wind and heavy transport and installation work, 3. On-site operational support for project management and execution, and 4. Organizing training trips and field learning to offshore wind sites and facilities.
In the installation of offshore wind power, there is a need to temporarily place large blades (the parts of wind turbines) and the main wind power units, transported from overseas, on the quay.
However, it has been pointed out that the strength of the quay is often insufficient for the weight of the blades and power generation equipment, making the placement work difficult.
EWindsA has identified this issue early on and has been advocating for the introduction of large barges. The introduction of barges could become a new option for the offshore wind power business, which is expected to intensify in Japan.
Regarding support for the offshore wind business, EWindsA expresses their intentions with Schoemaker stating, “We want to develop our service as a ‘mentor’ for the offshore wind business.”
The core business content is available on a monthly unit price contract, providing access to expert advice, strategic planning support, and assistance in building relationships with a wide range of industry stakeholders and partners in both Japan and the Netherlands.
Photo courtesy = EWindsA, Repsol, Odfjell