Energetica India Magazine January-February 2021

Participation in Construction of Wind Farm Tsugaru Yokogawa SCADA Solution Drives Wind Power Generation Business Wind turbine under construction Turbine blades 48 energetica INDIA- Jan-Feb_2021 Japan’s Largest Wind Farm Embarks on Full-scale Drive with Yokogawa SCADA Solution Wind Farm Tsugaru The vast Tsugaru Plain that spreads across the Tsugaru Peninsu- la in the northwestern part of Aomori Prefecture in Japan. It is a leafy region facing the Sea of Japan where agriculture, forestry and fisheries are thriving. The Wind Farm Tsugaru commenced commercial operation on April 1, 2020 after approximately two and a half years of construction in this lush green area with rath- er moderate temperatures around 25 o C in summer and –5 o C even in harsh winters, making it relatively comfortable in the To- hoku region. The farm is owned and operated by Green Power Investment Corporation, Japan. Most part of the plant is built in an agricultural land in line with the Act on Promotion of Generating Renewable Energy Harmo- nized with Healthy Development of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery. With 38 General Electric 3,200-kilowatt turbines installed in northern and southern areas, its installed capacity of 121,600 kilowatts (kW) can cover the power demand of about 90,000 households according to the typical household electricity con- sumption and has made it the largest wind farm in Japan at the start of operation. In environmental aspects, a carbon dioxide reduction effect of 180,000 tons per year is expected. The entire electricity generated is supplied to Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc., the local electric utility via a grid interconnection switchyard about 15 km (~9.3 miles) away. Yokogawa participated in the project as the system provider from the beginning of construction throughout phases from de- sign, engineering, introduction, up to the test runs. Although the world’s industries have been developed with en- ergy derived from coal, oil and natural gas and most of them (~80%) are still relying on fossil fuels, efforts to exhaust the pos - sibilities of renewable energy, including wind power generation business are of critical importance when considering the global environment. Initiatives to leverage renewable energy such as wind power, solar power and biomass have been promoted in recent years; however, Japan lags Europe and America in introduction amount and technological strength, calling for technological innovation in many aspects from construction to operation.