Tokyo Gas has begun using a digital platform for offshore wind project development provided by Norway’s Vind AI. The company says that with the platform, developers can complete business plans for offshore wind projects five times faster.
The Norwegian company’s Vind AI s platform supports developers in the assessment and design of wind energy projects, integrating data, advanced algorithms, analytics and collaboration tools to significantly accelerate wind farm development.
While Vind AI has previously made its platform available to offshore wind developers in Europe, including TotalEnergies, EnBW and Statkraft, this is the company’s first deal in Japan.
Tokyo Gas has already developed several offshore wind projects, including floating wind farms, and is also a member of the Floating Offshore Wind Energy Research Association (FLOWRA), which was established in Japan last year.
Last year, the Japanese company acquired a 21.2% stake in WindFloat Atlantic, a 25.2 MW floating wind farm that has been operational in Portugal since 2020 and is operated by Windplus, a majority-owned subsidiary of Ocean Winds.
In December 2024, Tokyo Gas and its consortium partners BP, Marubeni Corporation, Kansai Electric Power and Marutaka Corporation were awarded the right to develop a 450 MW offshore wind project in Japanese territorial waters.
The proposed location for the fixed-bottom wind farm is 2 to 5 km off the coast of Yuza City, Yamagata Prefecture.
The company’s engineering subsidiary, Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions (TGES), last year signed a collaboration agreement with James Fisher and Sons, under which the two partners will jointly provide construction and operations and maintenance (O&M) services in the Japanese offshore wind market, and in a new deal with Norway’s Vind AI, the company will accelerate its projects by purchasing the company’s specialized platform.