DEME has secured a contract for the offshore installation of wind turbines at the Oga–Katagami–Akita offshore wind project site in Japan through its joint venture with Penta-Ocean Construction, called Japan Offshore Marine (JOM).
Under the contract, JOM will carry out engineering works and provide vessel charter services for the installation of 21 Vestas V236-15 MW turbines.
Installation work will be performed by the jack-up installation vessel Sea Challenger , which DEME said will sail under the Japanese flag by the time offshore activities begin in the second half of 2027.
“This first contract confirms the fact that Japan Offshore Marine has become fully operational and is well-positioned to onboard larger-scale offshore wind projects in Japan”, said Frank Jonckheere , General Manager Asia-Pacific – Offshore Energy at DEME.
The Oga–Katagami–Akita project was awarded in Japan’s second offshore wind auction round and is being developed by Oga Katagami Akita Offshore Green Energy, a consortium consisting of JERA, Electric Power Development (J-POWER), Tohoku Electric Power, and Itochu.
The offshore wind farm will have a capacity of 315 MW and will be built off the coast of Oga City, Akita City, and Katagami City in Akita Prefecture.
The consortium was awarded development rights at the end of 2023 and selected Vestas as the preferred turbine supplier for the project in 2024, marking the first time Vestas’s V236-15 MW was ordered in the Asia Pacific market.
This will also be the first deployment of 15 MW-class offshore wind turbines in Japan and the first use of turbines of this size outside Europe, excluding China, according to DEME.
According to earlier news about the Oga–Katagami–Akita project, wind turbine deliveries are expected to begin in 2026, while commissioning is planned for 2027.
The 315 MW offshore wind farm is scheduled to be fully commissioned in June 2028.