Japan Achieves 153.5 MW of Offshore Wind Capacity in 2023

February 8, 2024, by Adnan Memija

Japan has added 572.3 MW of new wind capacity in 2023, resulting in a total operational wind energy capacity of 5,213.4 MW for the first time, according to preliminary data published by the Japan Wind Power Association (JWPA). As for offshore wind, the country had 153.5 MW of installed capacity at the end of last year, not including semi-offshore wind farms accessible from coastal areas.

According to data, 158 new wind turbines were connected to the national grid in 2023, bringing the total number of operational units to 2,626 by the end of last year.

The average size of new wind farms is 23.8 MW/site in 2023 while the average rating of installed wind turbines is 3.8 MW/unit.

When it comes to offshore wind, the country had 153.5 MW of installed capacity at the end of last year, not including semi-offshore wind farms accessible from coastal areas.

Among the total count, two locations of a combined 5 MW are floating offshore wind farms.

Japan currently has six operational offshore wind farms, with two of them being large-scale, the 84 MW Noshiro Port and the 54.6 MW Akita Port projects.

Akita Port was put into commercial operation in January 2023 while Noshiro Port has been in commercial operation since December 2022.

Japan’s semi-offshore wind projects comprise a total installed capacity of 34.2 MW, spread across four wind farms, according to JWPA.

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The Japanese government aims to deploy 10 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 30-45 GW by 2040, including floating wind, as part of its target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

On 19 January, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism launched the tender for an offshore wind site in the Sea of Japan, off the coast of Aomori Prefecture, and a site off the coast of the town of Yuza in Yamagata Prefecture.

The tender is open until 19 July and the developers of the two project sites will be selected by December this year.