Construction of Japan’s largest offshore wind farm will officially begin in May in Kitakyushu City, with a groundbreaking ceremony held on April 25. The project aims to start operations by the fiscal year 2025 as part of the country’s efforts to transition toward carbon neutrality. The wind farm, planned in the Hibikinada area of Wakamatsu-ku, will feature 25 large wind turbines approximately 200 meters tall. The construction, which commenced in March, will ramp up in May with around 90 stakeholders attending the groundbreaking ceremony. Hibiki Wind Energy, the company leading the project, plans to work closely with local communities to develop the wind farm as a symbol of the city and an educational site for sustainable energy. The offshore wind farm is expected to have a maximum output of 220,000 kilowatts, enough to power around 170,000 households, making it the largest in the country. The total project cost is estimated at around ¥170 billion, with operations set to begin by the fiscal year 2025. Kitakyushu Port, including the site of the wind farm, is the only designated base port in western Japan for offshore wind power construction. Kitakyushu City aims to attract related industries and boost the local economy. The mayor expressed his desire to create a cycle of businesses gathering and creating employment opportunities by using the offshore wind farm project as a catalyst. Kyushu Electric Power is working to increase its renewable energy generation capacity, aiming to double it to 5 million kilowatts by 2030. However, as the proportion of renewable energy in the power mix approaches 20%, challenges related to transmission grid limitations and costs have emerged. As new operators enter the market, Kyushu Electric Power faces difficulties in maintaining stable power supply due to the intermittent nature of solar and wind power. Additionally, surcharges on household electricity bills to support renewable energy have increased, raising concerns about controlling generation costs. Source: NHK
Photo by Jesse De Meulenaere on Unsplash
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