20 July 2021
JFE Engineering Corporation
JFE Engineering Corporation (President and CEO: Hajime Oshita; Head Office: Chiyoda, Tokyo) has decided to make a capital investment in a new factory for bottom-mounted foundations (monopile type) for offshore wind power generation facilities. A monopile foundation consists of a monopile as the support post and a transition piece for connection to the wind turbine tower. It is an ultra-thick, long, and super heavy object with a large diameter. The size makes it difficult to manufacture at existing factory in Japan. When completed, this factory will be the first monopile foundation manufacturing factory (hereunder referred to as "monopile factory") in Japan.
The government has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to practically zero by 2050. Offshore wind power generation is expected to be a trump card for making renewable energy a main source of power. The Offshore Wind Industry Vision (version 1), which was announced last December, set targets for the formation of 30 to 45 GW projects and an increase of the domestic procurement ratio to 60% by 2040.
The launching of our domestic monopile foundation manufacturing project will significantly contribute to the achievement of these governmental goals.
The monopile factory will be constructed on the premises of JFE Steel West Japan Works (Fukuyama District) in Kasaoka, Okayama Prefecture. The large single heavy plates manufactured by JFE Steel will be transported to the new factory in Kasaoka, where monopiles and the primary steel pipes of transition pieces will be manufactured with those plates. The monopiles will then be transported by sea directly to the construction site of the offshore wind power generation project. On the other hand, the primary steel pipes will be transported by sea to JFE Engineering Tsu Works. There, secondary components and interior equipment will be assembled to finalize the transition pieces that will then be transported by sea from Tsu Works to the construction site.
The total capital investment for both bases is expected to be approximately 40 billion yen.
We will promptly develop the monopile manufacturing base in Japan. Also, we are planning to add jacket-type foundations, for which we already have an extensive track record on harbor piers and other architectures, to establish a full lineup of offshore wind turbine foundation manufacturing. We are determined to make a significant contribution to the realization of carbon neutrality while making sure to meet the rapidly growing demand for offshore wind power generation.
Monopile Factory Overview
| Manufacturing site | Kasaoka, Okayama Prefecture (in JFE Steel West Japan Works, Fukuyama District) 〔Monopiles and the primary steel pipes of transition pieces〕 |
|---|---|
| Investment content | Factory buildings, manufacturing facilities, transportation facilities, quay improvement, etc. |
| Ground area | About 20 ha (including storage area) |
| Production capacity: | Annual production of about 80,000-100,000 tons |
| Start of construction | May 2022 |
| Start of production | April 2024 (planned to be in time for Round 1 project) |
Transition Piece Assembly Factory Overview
| Manufacturing site | Tsu, Mie Prefecture (JFE Engineering Tsu Works) |
|---|---|
| Investment content | Transportation equipment, ground improvement, etc. |
| Production capacity | Annual production of about 50 pieces |
| Start of production | April 2024 (planned to be in time for Round 1 project) |
New factory construction sites on maps
Fabrication Overview
For inquiries regarding this press release, please contact:
- Public Relations Section, General Administration Department, JFE Engineering Corporation