Heavy Snow No Match For 63-MW Onshore Wind Center

Invenergy and GE Vernova’s Onshore Wind business announced that they have reached commercial operation date (COD) of Invenergy’s Rusutsu Wind Energy Center in Rusutsu town, Hokkaido, Japan. The wind energy center will have a capacity of approximately 63 MW and is expected to reduce approximately 64,000 tons (58,060 tonnes) of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions on an annual basis. The project is powered by 15 units of GE Vernova’s 4.2-117 technology, which are GE 4.2-MW turbines with 117 meter-rotors. The onshore turbines have been optimized 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 COD 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 it 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.

“We appreciate the confidence that Invenergy has shown in choosing our 4-MW class turbine line for their first project in Asia,” said Steve Swift, chief commercial officer at GE Vernova’s Onshore Wind business. “This is a significant milestone in our 20-year relationship where we are collaborating across the various segments under the GE Vernova portfolio such as the wind, power, and electrification businesses. 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.”

Both companies are committed to supporting Japan’s goal of increasing the share of the national electricity mix coming from renewable energy from 36% to 38% by 2030. Over the last 130 years, GE Vernova has contributed to Japan’s stable power supply by providing power generation equipment including gas turbines, steam turbines, nuclear reactors, hydro, and wind turbines. GE Vernova currently powers one fourth of the country’s current installed capacity of onshore wind.