EDF Renewables, Mitsui shipping firm to share offshore wind expertise

EDF Renewables is partnering up with Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) to participate in the offshore wind sector and to pursue opportunities in green hydrogen, they announced on Wednesday.

MOL said in a statement that the two companies have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to shape a collaboration based on their respective and complementary expertise and experience in the two sectors. The announcement, however, did not give more information about any specific project or a solution.

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"We are honoured to have the opportunity to deepen our collaboration through this MoU. With EDF Renewables, who has vast experience in developing and operating offshore wind farms and green hydrogen projects internationally, we believe this collaboration would accelerate the development of offshore wind farm and green hydrogen projects all over the world," said Masayuki Sugiyama, Executive Officer, Wind Power Project & Carbon Power Solution, MOL.

The Japanese shipping firm is already involved in offshore wind, offering a range of value chain services such as construction and logistics, marine consultation, and operation and maintainance (O&M). In addition, it has a minority interest in the 128-MW Formosa I wind farm located off the coast of Miaoli County, Taiwan.

At the same time, MOL is developing a large zero-emissions hydrogen-producing cargo ship as part of the Wind Hunter Project. The company said separately that this particular endeavour has been selected as “a cutting-edge renewable energy project” under the Tokyo Bay eSG Priority Project for fiscal year 2023.

Wind Hunter is a concept for a ship that harnesses offshore wind energy to produce hydrogen from water onboard and convert it into propulsion for vessels. The goal is to build a large commercial vessel of this kind by around 2030.