Japan’s offshore wind market is likely to reach over 6GW of capacity.
The forecast is expected to grow as the market is supported by auctions of seabed acreage and streamlining of the permitting process.
It has been reported that the growth will entail the installation of 600 turbines by 2030. Currently, there are 59 turbines with an installed capacity of 190MW.
As per a new report by Clarksons Research, “Japan’s offshore wind sector includes an update on recent policy changes, coverage of the upcoming round of offshore wind auctions and a capacity forecast out to 2030.”
To develop the wind market, the government has revised its guidelines for the second round of offshore wind auctions. Now, it will have the seabed rights to 1.8GW of capacity which will be awarded to developers later this year.
It includes 700MW to be awarded off Niigata, 692MW on Akita and 424MW on Nagasaki.
So far, the country’s capacity stands at 190MW following the commissioning of the country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind projects recently. In addition, some 344MW is under construction and set to come online by the end of 2025. Likewise an additional 1.9GW has secured offtake agreements.
Japan has aimed for wind power (onshore and offshore) to account for 5% of its energy mix by 2030 under its sixth Strategic Energy Plan. For this, it has set a target of achieving at least 5.7GW of offshore wind capacity to be online by 2030.
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