This project was selected in the country’s second round of public auctions, which aims to establish 1.8 GW of wind power capacity across four zones. It involves the development, construction, and operation of a fixed-bottom offshore wind facility near Happo Town and Noshiro City. The wind farm will feature 25 state-of-the-art Vestas wind turbines, built on monopiles, with a capacity of 15 MW each. This initiative is a key part of Japan’s ambitious plan to expand its offshore wind market to 10 GW by 2030 and 45 GW by 2040.
In a joint statement, the companies announced, “The operating company will take into consideration and carry out measures to ensure mutual prosperity with the regional community through close communication with local stakeholders and contribute to the realization of a carbon neutral society in 2050 by providing a large-scale stable supply of clean energy through offshore wind power for the coming generations.”
The project also serves as an excellent example of international cooperation in renewable energy development. Iberdrola, a multinational company based in Bilbao, Spain, is the second foreign company, following RWE, to secure an offshore wind farm bid in Japan.
Xabier Viteri, the Global CEO of Iberdrola Renewables, commented on the project’s significance. “Japan has ambitious targets for offshore wind development, and it is a market Iberdrola has been contributing to for several years now,” he said. “This latest development expands our options to deliver new projects in the years ahead.”
The involvement of Iberdrola, a company with a significant global presence in the offshore wind sector, brings invaluable international expertise to the project. Moreover, the project is expected to make significant contributions to medium- and long-term regional and domestic industrial development through the stable operation of renewable energy sources and the establishment of a sustainable supply chain.
With construction expected to commence in 2026, the wind farm is on track to start operations by 2029.
