“uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç

Tomamae has been the site of yet more action in the wind business recently. German/Danish wind turbine manufacturer Nordex Balcke-Dürr is to install a 600 kW turbine for the town. It is the first part of a 2.2 MW joint public/private sector wind project planned for completion by 2000 (“uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç, May 1998). Nordex's Japanese agent, Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries, won the order for the JPY 250 million ($2.1 million) machine in competition with Dutch Lagerwey and Japan's Mitsubishi. The electricity from the wind station will be sold to Hokkaido Electrical Power Co. The town has received a 50% subsidy from the federal New Energy Development Organisation. The supplier of the next two wind turbines has not been decided.