Renova readies Japanese offshore wind farm
Renova, Inc. is finalising its contracting and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for its Akita Yurihonjo offshore wind farm ahead of Japan"s upcoming offshore wind auction in H2 2020.
The Akita Yurihonjo project is being developed by Akita Yurihonjo Offshore Wind GK (AYOW), a joint venture company owned by RENOVA, Cosmo Eco Power Co., Ltd., JR-EAST Energy Development Co., Ltd. and Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. Amidst the outbreak of COVID-19 in Japan, Renova established an office in Yurihonjo in order to raise local awareness surrounding its project and increase its local presence in Yurihonjo.
The wind farm has been under development since 2015 and a project plan was drawn up based on the Second Phase of Akita Prefectural Strategy for New Energy Industries formulated by Akita Prefecture in 2016. AYOW began wind condition measurements of the site in 2016 and commenced seabed ground surveys in the following year. In 2017, AYOW also began carrying out the procedures for environmental impact assessments and holding briefings to explain the project to local stakeholders.
AYOW is currently engaged in dialogues with local residents, fishermen and other local stakeholders, while at the same time holding consultations on how the wind farm will contribute to the local community, conducting environmental impact assessments and various other surveys, and examining technical specifications.
The final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report (last stage of the Japanese EIA procedure) is expected to be published in June for public consultation.
According to Renova, selection of a Balance of Plant EPC contractor is currently in the final stages. The contract scope is inclusive of engineering, supply, installation and commissioning for the entire project (excluding turbines). MHI Vestas was recently selected as the preferred supplier for the project and is expected to deliver around 74 typhoon classed units; potentially the V174-9.5 model. Renova is also in talks with the regional power distributor (Tohoku Electric Power - partner in AYOW) to secure the grid connection.
Located off the coast of Yurihonjo city in the Akita Prefecture, Japan the wind farm is expected to have a power generating capacity of approximately 700 MW, making it one of the largest offshore arrays in Japan.
