RWE Renewables has established its first Asia-Pacific office in Japan to support expansion of the company’s offshore wind business in the country.
The Tokyo office will be led by the Japanese country manager and will also be staffed with three more wind industry experts.
RWE Renewables chief operating officer Sven Utermohlen said: “We expect Japan’s offshore wind industry to gain real momentum.
“The Japanese government has plans to considerably increase the role of offshore wind energy in electricity production. With clear regulations and a public tender scheme now in place, we see offshore wind as a crucial element of the transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.”
Earlier this year, RWE Renewables, operating at that time as Eon Climate & Renewables, announced plans to enter the Japanese offshore wind market and recently signed partnership agreements with local companies, including Kyuden Mirai Energy, the developer of the Hibiki-naa offshore wind project in Kita-Kyushu.
The partners plan to jointly develop, build and operate fixed bottom projects mostly in the Kyushu area with a view to expanding the collaboration to other projects across Japan in the near future, said RWE Renewables.
Following a recent asset swap with Eon, RWE Renewables has more than 9GW of installed capacity and 2.6GW under construction globally.