Invenergy has achieved commercial operation at a 63MW wind farm in Japan.
Invenergy’s Rusutsu Wind Energy Center in Rusutsu town, Hokkaido, hosts 15 GE Vernova 4MW turbines.
The 4.2-117 units have been optimised for extreme environments, including wind conditions, seismic loading and complex sites of the Japanese market.
The project is the first onshore wind project for Invenergy in Japan and in Asia.
Invenergy, GE Vernova and project construction lead Kajima Corporation have been working closely to reach commercial operation since the main wind turbine components were discharged from the vessels at Tomakomai Port in April 2023.
One unique challenge of the project was coping with snow.
Rusutsu, a popular winter resort area in Hokkaido, saw its first snowfall in November and its peak snow fall in December while installation work and commissioning work was ongoing.
Daily snow removal work enabled the project to be constructed safely and on schedule.
Steve Swift, Chief Commercial Officer, GE Vernova’s Onshore Wind business, said: “We appreciate the confidence that Invenergy has shown in choosing our 4MW class turbine line for their first project in Asia.
“The Rusutu Wind Energy Center is one of many GE Vernova-powered projects that are targeted to begin operations in 2024 and demonstrate our commitment to delivering for customers in Japan, which is a priority country in Asia.”
Masa Oya, Senior VP and Japan Business Unit Head at Invenergy, added: “Invenergy is proud to deliver another operating clean energy project in Japan.
“We are grateful for the people of Rusutsu Village, Hokkaido, the administrative agencies, GE Vernova and our construction lead Kajima Corporation for helping make this project a reality.
“We look forward to building on our track record to deliver more clean energy solutions in Japan.”