Japan is reportedly seeking to raise its domestic procurement goal for offshore wind farms to roughly 70% in 2040 from the current 60% in a bid to build up the local supply chain with foreign investment.
The new target for home made components will be finalised by summer with an expert panel starting meetings later this month to discuss the procurement goal and necessary support measures, according to Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei.
Japan currently has no wind turbine manufacturers or factories and relies on imports for core components.
The country’s firms are largely confined to other areas, such as installation and operation, the newspaper notes.
Green Power Investments’ wind farm that started operation off Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido in January 2024 was the first project to reach the 60% local procurement threshold.
Achieving the higher procurement goal will require that Western suppliers build factories in Japan and that Japanese companies have the capacity to supply them with parts and materials.
Japan aims to have 10GW of offshore wind power capacity in place by 2030, and 30 to 45GW by 2040.
The expert panel will set a 2040 goal for rolling out floating platforms for wind turbines that are better suited to the deep waters that surround much of Japan, Nikkei added.