Possible Boost for Japanese Offshore Wind

The Japanese Government was urged to lift offshore wind tariff while lowering the tariff for solar energy, reported Reuters.

Ever since the nuclear disaster in 2011, Japan has been looking to develop other ways of energy production, this is why the new feed-in tariff scheme was introduced in 2012, which required utilities to buy all power generated from renewable sources.

“As you look at Japan, and how we see the energy mix in Japan … we see an opportunity, and that opportunity is in renewables,” said Anne McEntee, head of renewable energy at GE , last month at a wind energy conference.

In a report issued last week, the government panel recommends rising of offshore wind tariff to 30 yen per kwh, and cut of 11% in solar tariffs to 32 yen per kwh.

Since November, wind energy projects have accounted for only 3 percent of development approvals, while solar accounted for around 94 percent.

 Offshore WIND staff, March 11, 2014; Image: MHI