Japanese firms will develop wind power farms with a total capacity of 1.07GW in Aomori and Yamagata prefectures, to raise domestic renewable power capacity as part of efforts to achieve the 2050 decarbonisation goal.
Japan's largest power producer by capacity Jera, renewable energy firm Green Power Investment (GPI), and power utility Tohoku Electric Power will build a 615MW offshore wind farm off the coast of Aomori. The offshore wind farmwill be the country's largest wind power project, according to Jera, and plans to start commercial operations in June 2030.
Fellow utility Kansai Electric Power, trading house Marubeni, BP's subsidiary BP IOTA, Japanese gas distributor Tokyo Gas and local construction firm Marutaka separately plan to develop a 450MW offshore wind farm in Yuza city, Yamagata prefecture. The five companies set up a joint venture called Yamagata Yuza wind power ahead of the project. It plans to start commercial operations in June 2030, same as the other offshore wind project.
The two projects are selected by the trade and industry ministry Meti's public offering which closed in July. The only way to build a large-scale offshore wind power plant is to apply for Meti's open call for proposals, Jera said.
