Japan's Toshiba plans to establish a domestic supply chain for offshore wind power equipment collaborate with U.S. manufacturer General Electric, as Japan is expanding in green energy in a zero-carbon push.
The offshore wind power market in Japan is set to grow as the government aims to install up to 10 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, and up to 45 GW by 2040, as part of its decarbonization advancement.
Japanese government in June finished accepting bids for the second round of offshore wind power tenders to build 1.8 GW of capacity in four areas, with results yet to be announced. First round of 1.7 GW capacity was won by Mitsubishi in 2021.
The equipment supply chain would include around 100 small and medium-sized companies with focus on the areas where offshore wind capacity should be installed, according to Nikkei’s report. Toshiba plans to begin production in 2026.
In 2021, Toshiba and GE announced a strategic partnership to localize GE's Haliade-X offshore wind turbines manufacturing in Japan, as the U.S. company wants its technology to be as competitive as possible in Japan's offshore wind auctions.
According to Japan Wind Power Association, GE will manufacture a total of 134 wind turbines with 13 MW capacity each for the three offshore wind projects won by the Mitsubishi-led consortiums in the first round, which Toshiba will then assemble.
The partnership between Toshiba and GE signifies the growing momentum in Japan’s renewable energy sector and the increasing investment in offshore wind power.
With these joint efforts, Japan is taking significant strides towards achieving its green energy targets and driving the transition to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly power generation system.
