Swire Delivers for Kihoku Repowering Project in Japan

By Simon West

Swire Projects has carried out consecutive deliveries of wind turbine components to support a repowering initiative at the onshore Kihoku wind project in Japan.

Six sets of mains and towers and 18 blades were loaded at China’s Shanghai and Penglai ports and shipped to Shibushi in Japan on behalf of a global wind turbine maker. Swire Projects’ 19,600-dwt Pacific Integrity was deployed for the assignment.

Kihoku is currently being upgraded as part of a repowering program to replace its aging components with modern and more powerful next-generation models, a common process for wind projects over 20 years old.

The original 21-MW Kihoku wind farm, located in Kagoshima Prefecture, was commissioned in 2004. Construction of the renewed facility began three years ago and is slated for completion in 2027.

“As renewable energy continues its rapid expansion worldwide, Swire Projects remains committed to supporting the sector with reliable heavy-lift and project cargo solutions, backed by our own proven expertise in handling oversized renewable and wind cargo,” the company said.

Swire Projects, a division of Singapore-headquartered Swire Shipping, was launched in October 2020 to provide specialist shipping services to the energy, renewable and infrastructure industries.

Its fleet of vessels include two I-Types — including Pacific Integrity — equipped with two 240-ton heavy-lift cranes, and four 12,800-dwt E/F-Types.

Swire Shipping is an exhibitor at Breakbulk Europe and Breakbulk Asia.