© Reuters. Wind turbines behind a street lamp in Yokohama, Japan on August 9, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Toshiba Corporation (OTC:) plans to build a domestic supply chain for offshore wind power equipment in cooperation with the US manufacturer. General Electric (NYSE::) , on Saturday, as Japan expands into renewable energy with a zero-carbon push.
The offshore wind 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 push to decarbonise.
Last month, the government finished accepting bids for the second round of offshore wind tenders to build 1.8 gigawatts of capacity in four areas, and the results are yet to be announced. Mitsubishi won the first round with a capacity of 1.7 GW in 2021.
According to Nikkei, the equipment supply chain will include about 100 small and medium-sized enterprises with a focus on areas where offshore wind power must be installed.
Nikkei added that Toshiba plans to start production in 2026.
In 2021, Toshiba and GE announced a strategic partnership to localize manufacturing of GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbines in Japan, as the US company wants its technology to be as competitive as possible in Japanese offshore wind auctions.
GE will manufacture a total of 134 wind turbines of 13 megawatts each for three offshore wind projects won by consortia led by Mitsubishi in the first round, which will then be assembled by Toshiba, according to the Japan Wind Energy Association.