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Sumitomo and J-POWER begin Japanese site investigations

By: Tom Russell 16/07/2019 Sumitomo Corporation

General Windfarms

Sumitomo Corporation and Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-POWER) have begun an offshore ground investigation around the Hirashima and Enoshima islands off the coast of Saikai City, Nagasaki Prefecture, to explore the possibility of developing an offshore wind power plant.

Japan currently has just under 80 MW of offshore wind power in operation. Its government recently approved the General Waters Bill, which came into force from 2019, paving the way for offshore wind developments. Prior to this, there was no legislation for offshore wind farms in Japanese waters.

With this legislation in place, the Japanese government is currently in the process of drafting a framework for the evaluation, selection and allocation of offshore wind areas in the territorial sea to developers. These sites will be auctioned off under a similar process to that of wind farm zones in Europe, with the first tender expected to be launched in H1 2020.

According to two companies, the waters off the coast of Sakai City are considered as one of the most promising candidate areas in Japan due to their favorable wind conditions and relatively shallow depth. With the understanding of local residents and other concerned parties, Sumitomo Corporation and J-POWER will conduct boring surveys, sonic prospecting, and other investigations to determine the soil structure in the area and acquire other data required for designing the wind power plant’s foundation structures.

Sumitomo Corporation has been engaged in developing and running renewable energy projects worldwide, and now possesses 1.4 GW in generation capacity. The company entered the offshore wind power generation business in 2013 and has interests in projects in Belgium, the United Kingdom, and France.

J-POWER possesses wind power generation facilities with a total output of approximately 450,000 kW. The company established a Renewable Energy Headquarters in June 2018 to further expand its renewable energy business, including hydroelectric and geothermal power sources. In regards to offshore wind, the company is involved in the development a project in the port area of Kitakyushu, and is participation in a Triton Knoll offshore wind power project in the United Kingdom.

For more information on offshore wind farm technology and projects worldwide, click here.

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Sumitomo and J-POWER begin Japanese site investigations

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