The Japanese government has awarded rights to develop three projects with a combined capacity of over 1.4GW in the country’s second offshore wind auction.
RWE Offshore Wind Japan Murakami-Tainai K K has been selected in a consortium together with Mitsui & Co and Osaka Gas Co to deliver a 684MW offshore wind project in Japan.
The project off the coast of the cities of Murakami and Tainai, Niigata Prefecture is one of three areas up for auction.
The Japanese Government has appointed the consortium to develop, construct and operate the fixed-bottom offshore wind farm off the country’s west coast.
Full commissioning is scheduled for June 2029. The wind farm is expected to consist of 38 wind turbines.
In addition, Sumitomo and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) were awarded rights to create the 420MW Nagasaki project, based off Saikai City in Nagasaki Prefecture.
Scheduled to start operations in August 2029, the project will use 28 turbines.
JERA, Itochu, Electric Power Development Co (J-Power) and Tohoku Electric Power were chosen to develop the 315MW Akita project, off the coast of Akita City.
The project will use 21 turbines and is set to begin generating from June 2028.
Markus Krebber chief executive of RWE said: “Offshore wind is increasingly gaining momentum in Japan and I am deeply honored that we together with our Japanese partners have been selected to deliver this project as a trusted partner to the Japanese Government.
“This marks RWE’s first success in an offshore wind tender in Japan and the wider APAC region.
“This success reflects the collective strength, expertise and commitment of RWE and our consortium partners.
“With Mitsui and Osaka Gas we have partners by our side whose local expertise perfectly complements our global experience and technical know-how as one of the world’s leading offshore wind companies.
“Together we are very well placed to supply green electricity from offshore wind to the greater benefit of the Japanese society. We are looking forward to a fruitful collaboration with all our stakeholders.”
As a next step, the partners will coordinate with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) for the approval of the public occupancy plan.
In addition, the partners will continue to engage and work closely together with local partners, authorities, communities and fisheries to ensure a seamless realization of this offshore wind farm.
Consolidating complementary strengths, RWE and its partners strongly promote the development of offshore wind as a major renewables energy source in Japan.