The Japanese government continues its push for more offshore wind development, opening the third round of project allocations. To shore up under the Japanese target of 10 GW within 2030, and to fill the pipeline with new opportunities for both foreign and domestic developers, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry is now inviting developers to bid on two new sites, totaling 1050 MW. The two areas open for bids in the round are:

• Aomori South (600 MW), expected COD between June 2030 and April 2031
• Yamagata Yuza Town (450 MW), expected COD between June 2030 and April 2031

The opening of the round comes after three sites were awarded last December, total 1419 MW, with CODs between 2028 and 2029. The opening of a new round signals the authorities’ commitment to developing the country’s offshore wind sector and creating a steady stream of opportunities for the supply chain. The two sites in the round have already seen several developers express their interest, including RWE and CIP, in addition to domestic companies like JERA and TEPCO.

The Japanese government is also expected to award the Happo, Akita Prefecture, Oki, Noshiro City site by March 2024, a leftover from the second allocation round. In addition, sites for floating demonstration projects will be awarded during the spring, testing the conditions for commercial size floating turbines in Japan.

The application window for round 3 will be open from January 19 until July 19, 2024.