The Japanese government is preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding with Vestas to encourage the Danish wind turbine manufacturer to begin production in Japan, Nikkei has reported.
According to Nikkei, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will establish a cooperative framework with Vestas that could include domestic manufacturing of turbine blades and drivetrain components.
Subsidies and additional support measures will be provided, with further backing for offshore wind projects in Japan, Nikkei said.
In a separate MOU, Nippon Steel will partner with Vestas to explore the use of domestically produced steel in turbine towers, the paper added.
The Japanese government aims to increase local procurement of wind turbine components to expand the country’s wind energy capacity.
With no major turbine manufacturing currently based in Japan, the country remains reliant on imports.
Nikkei said the ministry hopes to capitalise on a slowdown in offshore wind investment in the US and Europe due to inflation and policy shifts, particularly under the Trump administration.
The Vestas agreements follow similar MOUs the ministry has previously facilitated with GE Vernova and a Siemens subsidiary, according to Nikkei.