Page 14 - AsiaElec Week 20 2022

AsiaElec RENEWABLES AsiaElec

Japan pushing forward with

offshore wind projects

JAPAN WHILE much of the energy focus in recent Aomori South Offshore wind project, we look
months across Japan has been focused on oil forward to contributing to the achievement of
imports from Russia, Tokyo has quietly been Japan’s energy independence and carbon neu-
pushing forward a range of offshore wind trality goals, while (also) empowering and bene-
projects. fiting our local communities and stakeholders.”
These include fixed base, and also floating In recent years Japan has repeatedly touted
wind powered facilities. a nationwide goal of carbon neutrality by 2050,
Aimed at helping the nation achieve its much with offshore wind goals in the previous decades
publicised goals of 30 GW of offshore wind by of 10 GW by 2030, then 30 to 45 GW by 2040.
the end of the decade, several offshore initiatives Spearheading projects in the same area of
have recently been announced. northern Honshu is Japan’s largest power gener-
The first project of note is in an area known as ation company, JERA, and Spanish utility Iber-
Aomori South, Aomori being the northernmost drola with their own joint venture with Japan’s
area on Japan’s main island of Honshu with the Cosmo Eco Power to develop another 600 MW
Sea of Japan (Nihon-kai (sea)) to the west, and project in nearby waters.
the Pacific Ocean to the east. Also in north Japan, on the Pacific coast, Nor-
Just prior to the outbreak of coronavirus wegian floating wind experts BW Ideol together
(COVID-19) when industry across Japan was with local utility Tohoku Electric Power have
closed down for extended periods, the national signed a deal to develop a floating wind farm off
government in Tokyo highlighted three areas Iwate Prefecture, 650 km north of Tokyo.
off the coast of Aomori as possible development Speaking of the tie-up and his company’s
sites. latest move into the Japanese offshore market,
Two are located on the western coast; the BW Ideol’s CEO, Paul De La Gueriviere, said:
Nihon Sea (north) and Nihon Sea (south) sites, “This agreement comes just a few months after
with the third in the large enclosed Mutsu Bay our ScotWind tender success and confirms the
directly north of Aomori City. merits of our dual-leg growth strategy as asset
As a project taking place in a “promising” co-developer and as floater technology provider.
area, according to Japanese government site Our teams are already hard at work and are
evaluations, the Aomori South location falls determined to successfully develop this project.”
under Japan’s Act on Promoting the Utilisation Feasibility studies off Iwate are now under-
of Sea Areas for the Development of Marine way with the goal of bringing floating solar to the
Renewable Energy Power Generation Facilities. fore in Japan as early as possible.
As such, it is largely protected against claims When complete it is understood the site will
by environmental groups looking to obstruct off- employ BW Ideol’s damping pool technology.
shore wind development near Japan’s coastline. BW Ideol is already well established in Japan,
It is set to be developed by the Singa- having penned agreements with two Japanese
pore-based Vena Energy Holdings alongside energy related companies in recent years to
local utility Shikoku Electric Power and Japan’s develop commercial-scale floating wind farms;
Toho Gas. Eneos Corporation, Japan’s largest refinery, and
Speaking after an announcement that the also Shizen Energy, a Tokyo-based firm behind
project was going ahead, the head of Vena renewable power plant construction.™
Energy in Japan, Juan Mas Valor, said: “With the

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