Published: October 17, 2025
Last updated: April 15, 2026
A Historic Step for Japan’s Floating Offshore Wind
Japan’s floating offshore wind industry is reaching a historic milestone. For the first time, Japanese floating foundation technology will be demonstrated overseas. Announced on June 13, 2025, in Rio Grande do Sul, the Aura Sul Wind Project, led by JB Energy (Japan Blue Energy), will deploy the innovative Raijin Float in combination with the world’s largest offshore wind turbine, the MySE 18MW. This marks a turning point as Japanese technology steps onto the international stage.
Aura Sul Wind Project: A New Chapter for Brazil’s Offshore Wind
According to JB Energy’s LinkedIn announcement, the Aura Sul Wind Project is Brazil’s first floating offshore wind pilot project, launched in a region with world-class wind resources and robust port infrastructure.
What is the “Raijin Float”?
The Raijin Float is designed using pre-cast and pre-stressed concrete, enabling deployment in deep waters (>50m). According to JB Energy, this technology is expected to deliver the following benefits:
- Up to 50% reduction in CAPEX compared to steel foundations
- Lower installation costs and shorter timelines compared to fixed foundations
- Reduced CO₂ emissions during construction due to the concrete structure
This innovation accelerates time-to-revenue and shortens the investment payback period.
Group Members
The group involves the following organizations:
Companies:
- JB Energy (Japan) – Consortium leader and Raijin Float technology provider
- MingYang Smart Energy (China) – Supplier of the world’s largest 18MW turbine
- Technomar Engenharia (Brazil) – Digital twin and engineering support
- blueOasis (Portugal) – Marine life and environmental data collection with HydroTwin technology provider
- PORTOS-RS (Brazil) – Port infrastructure and logistics support
- Licks Attorneys (Brazil) – Legal support
Academia:
- Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) – R&D, education, and workforce training in Brazil
- The University of Tokyo (Japan) – R&D and workforce training in Japan
Institutional support:
- Sindienergia-RS (Brazil) – Stakeholder engagement in Rio Grande do Sul state
- ABEEólica (Brazil) – Stakeholder engagement in Brazil
The project will proceed through environmental assessment, design, and construction, aiming for commercial deployment after 2030.
Why This Matters: Japan’s Floating Technology on the Global Stage
1. First Overseas Deployment of Japanese Floating Technology
Until now, Japanese floating offshore wind projects have been limited to domestic demonstration sites such as Fukushima, Kitakyushu, and Nagasaki. The Aura Sul Wind Project marks the first step toward internationalization. The GWEC Global Offshore Wind Report 2025 highlights floating offshore wind as the “next growth frontier,” with Japan positioned among the pioneering countries.
2. Validation in Global Competition
Alongside European semi-submersibles and U.S.-based floating designs, the demonstration of the Raijin Float in Brazil serves as a critical test case to showcase Japan’s engineering capabilities to the world.
3. A Foothold for Future Export Markets
Regions such as the United Kingdom, Portugal, Norway, China, South Korea and Taiwan are rapidly expanding their floating wind capacity. GWEC projects that 19 GW of floating offshore wind will be installed globally by 2034.
【April 2026 Update】IBAMA Licensing Process Initiated — Aura Sul Wind Becomes Brazil’s Third Offshore Wind Pilot Under Licensing
In March 2026, the Aura Sul Wind Project reached a significant new milestone. Japan Blue Energy formally initiated the federal environmental licensing process with IBAMA (Brazil’s Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources).
With this filing, Aura Sul Wind has become the third offshore wind pilot project to enter the licensing stage in Brazil, alongside the Petrobras-led project in Rio de Janeiro and the SENAI-led project in Rio Grande do Norte. Each pilot adopts a distinct technological approach, and collectively they are establishing the regulatory, environmental, and technical benchmarks that will shape Brazil’s offshore wind industry.
Updated Project Specifications
- Location: Approximately 65 km off the coast of Rio Grande do Sul (32.37°S, 51.50°W)
- Water Depth: 44 m
- Foundation: Floating semi-submersible (Raijin Float / prestressed concrete)
- Turbine: Single commercial-scale 18 MW unit
- Mooring: Anchored to seabed, connected to grid via submarine export cables
Why This Milestone Matters
1. Transition from concept to formal regulatory process. Initiating the IBAMA licensing process means the project has moved beyond the planning stage into formal review by Brazil’s federal environmental authority. While still a pilot, the environmental assessment framework established here will set precedent for future commercial-scale projects.
2. Concrete floater localization strategy takes shape. The Raijin Float’s prestressed concrete design is engineered for full domestic manufacturing in Brazil. The country holds one of the world’s largest cement and concrete industrial bases and maintains an established offshore support ecosystem — shipyards, specialized vessels, naval engineering, and port infrastructure — developed over decades of oil and gas operations. Japan Blue Energy positions this as a “supply chain transition” rather than greenfield industrialization, redirecting existing industrial capacity toward floating renewables.
3. Three pilots forming the foundation of Brazil’s offshore wind industry. Petrobras (Rio de Janeiro), SENAI (Rio Grande do Norte), and Aura Sul Wind (Rio Grande do Sul) — each using different technologies, building up real-world track records in environmental assessment, regulatory compliance, and cost calibration. For investors, the reduction of regulatory risk through pilot-phase progress is the precondition for capital deployment at scale.
Source: Japan Blue Energy / Aura Sul Wind press release (March 2026)
Future Outlook
With the IBAMA licensing process now formally underway, the Aura Sul Wind Project has moved beyond a conceptual pilot into a tangible regulatory pathway. This progression strengthens the case for leveraging Brazil’s oil & gas expertise and port infrastructure to position the country as a future offshore wind leader.
Conclusion
The Aura Sul Wind Project, featuring the innovative Raijin Float, is not merely a demonstration. It is a historic breakthrough marking the first international deployment of Japanese floating offshore wind technology. This project underscores how Japanese innovation can play a pivotal role in driving the global energy transition.
As JB Energy concludes:
“Through this project, Brazil aims to leverage its oil & gas heritage, technical talent, and unique geography to establish itself as a leader in the global offshore wind sector.”
DeepWind will continue to track how Japan’s floating offshore wind technology expands internationally and contributes to the global market.
For a broader look at offshore wind technologies and future innovations, make sure to explore our comprehensive summary article:
🌊 Offshore Wind Technology 2025: Foundations, Floating Wind, Turbines, and Innovations
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