German developer Wpd has bought a stake in the 424MW Saikai Enoshima offshore wind farm off Nagasaki on the north-west coast of Japan’s southern island of Kyushu.
It has not disclosed the size of the stake it has bought from co-developer Japan Renewable Energy Corporation (JRE).
Last summer, the Japanese government classified the planned site as a “promising area”, paving the way for preparatory work to take place. It is now working on designating it as a project area, which would allow wind resource assessments and geological surveys to be carried out.
The government is expected to tender the project next year.
Meanwhile, the developers are looking into technical details of the project. Waters at the site are fairly shallow compared with other areas off Japan, making the site suitable for fixed bottom turbines, a Wpd spokesman said.
JRE has already begun a number of studies and investigations, including environmental impact assessments, and has started discussions with the local community and other stakeholders.
Wpd entered the Japanese offshore wind sector in 2018 and is developing other projects in preparation for upcoming tender rounds.
It follows other western developers in teaming up with Japanese counterparts to target the country’s nascent offshore wind sector.
Japan aims to install between 30GW and 45GW of offshore wind by 2040 as the country aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
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