The Skwid matches a three-bladed vertical-axis wind turbine with aSavonius ocean-current turbine. Its split-cylinder, bucket-shaped currentturbine jump-starts the wind turbine, while acting as a self-righting ballast atsea.
The Tokyo company has yet to finalise a precise date for the planned autumn trial launch, which will be used to evaluate itsmotion performance and structural design.
Modec expects to start selling electricity from the Skwid toregional utility Kyushu Electric Power at some point in 2014.
