Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has announced a significant investment in TouchWind, a Dutch company pioneering next-generation floating offshore wind turbines. The move comes as part of MOL’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and expanding its presence in the renewable energy sector.
TouchWind is at the forefront of developing a groundbreaking tilting angled one-piece rotor wind turbine, poised to revolutionize the wind energy landscape. This innovative design is engineered to minimize wind interference between turbines in large wind farms, enhancing overall power generation efficiency. Moreover, it enables operation in strong winds while reducing the weight of both the turbine and floating components, thereby improving their long-term economics.
TouchWind’s journey began in 2019, backed by grants from the Dutch government and supporting companies. The recent endorsement from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Government of the Netherlands, allows them to manufacture up to 10 wind turbines with an impressive 6-meter rotor diameter, boasting an output of 12 kW. Between 2024 and 2025, the company plans to undertake comprehensive tests to validate their technology’s effectiveness in reducing wind interference.
Ryota Hayashi, General Manager responsible for Wind Power Projects Unit at MOL, expressed excitement about the collaboration, saying, “We are pleased that we can continue the journey with TouchWind and have become a shareholder of the company as we see exciting potential in their technology.”
TouchWind’s Founder and CEO, Rikus van de Klippe, welcomed MOL’s investment, stating, “We have been working together for over a year now on the further development of our tilting angled one-piece rotor floating wind turbine. Field testing with a 6m diameter rotor is in full preparation at the Oostvoorne lake in the Netherlands. With MOL as a shareholder and their investments, we can speed up our testing program to prove our technology.”
With this investment, MOL aims to propel technology development for the practical application of these advanced wind turbines and seize business opportunities within the supply chain of next-generation floating offshore wind turbines across Europe, Japan, and other Asian regions. It aligns with MOL’s “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2,” reinforcing their commitment to creating a sustainable world by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energy ventures.
This strategic partnership between MOL and TouchWind heralds a promising future for sustainable energy solutions and underscores the industry’s collective commitment to addressing the challenges of climate change.
