Japanese Utility Joins Ishikari Bay Offshore Wind Project

Japan’s Green Power Investment Corporation (GPI) and Hokkaido Electric Power Company (HEPCO) have signed an agreement to collaborate on an offshore wind project in Ishikari Bay.

GPI is currently developing a 112MW wind farm at Ishikari Bay New Port.

The wind farm is located 1.5-3 kilometres off the Ishikari Port on the Sea of Japan side of the northern island of Hokkaido. The construction is expected to start in 2020.

Once complete in 2022, the wind farm will sell 100% of its electrical output under a feed-in-tariff (FiT) secured power purchase agreement (PPA) to HEPCO.

Under the new cooperation agreement, the two companies will also review the possibility of developing a wind project in Ishikari Bay’s general sea area, beyond the port-related areas.