Japanese renewable energy developer Renova plans to carry out a feasibility study on a 560MW nearshore wind farm off the city of Yurihonjo in Akita Prefecture in the northern Tohoku region of Japan.
Renova has partnered with Eco Power, and JR East Energy Development to carry out site surveys as well as an Environmental Impact Assessment of the wind farm from 2017 to 2020.
The project is expected to enter the construction phase in 2021, with the commissioning of the wind farm scheduled for 2026.
The Yurihonjo offshore wind farm would be the largest wind farm of its kind in Japan and more than twice the size of the recently awarded 229MW Hibikinada nearshore wind farm.
Japan currently has 53MW of installed offshore wind capacity.
The country’s offshore wind industry is expected to take off after changes to the Port and Harbour Law last year which enabled the government of Kitakyushu city to award the contract for the construction of the Hibikinada nearshore wind farm to a consortium comprising Kyuden Mirai Energy, Kyuden Corporation (Kyushu Electric Power), Hokutaku Renewable Energy Service, J-Power, and SAIBUGAS.
Japan aims to increase the ratio of renewables in its energy mix to between 22–24% by 2030