A consortium of ten companies led by Hitachi Zosen Corporation has been awarded the bid to develop the “Iwafune Offshore Wind Farm Project” in Murakami City, Niigata prefecture. The award is the result of a public bidding held by Murakami City’s project promotion committee, chaired by the city’s mayor, Hiramasa Otaki.

 

Murakami City consider the Iwafune Offshore Wind Farm Project as having the potential to help to stimulate the local economy, including enhancing of its tourism product, while at the same time contribute to mitigating the effects of global warming. The project promotion committee was therefore set up in November 2014 to oversee smooth implementation. A feasibility study now underway targets 2,700 hectares of sea, with 10 to 35 meters of water depth, in the Iwafune offshore area, some 2 kilometers off the coast of Murakami City.

 

The consortium has begun technical and commercial planning for 44 bottom-mounted offshore wind turbines, each with a capacity of 5,000 kW for a total of approximately 220,000kW. Based on the results of the feasibility study, a Special Purpose Company (SPC) will be established in FY2015, with manufacturing of equipment scheduled to start in FY2020. Operations are set to start in FY2024.

 

Outline of Company Roles

	Company Name	Role
Candidate Company	Hitachi Zosen Corporation	Foundation and overall design
	Venti-Japan Inc.	Business development and operations
	Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.	Transmission cables, substations and other installations
	Hitachi Capital Corporation	Financing and operations
	Hitachi, Ltd.	Wind turbine performance and installation
	Mitsubishi Corporation	Business development and operations
Support Company	The Daishi Bank, Ltd.	Financing
	TOA CORPORATION	Construction
	HONMA Corporation	Construction
	The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.	Financing

 

Project Outline

 

1. Implementing Agency for Public Auction: Murakami City Iwafune Offshore Wind Farm Project Committee

2. Consortium members

Candidate Companies*: Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Venti-Japan Inc., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Hitachi Capital Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd., Mitsubishi Corporation

Support Companies**: The Daishi Bank, Ltd., TOA CORPORATION, HONMA Corporation, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.

 

(*) Candidate companies: Companies that will conduct the feasibility study in the designated area and participate in the SPC through capital investment, pending confirmation based on feasibility.

 

(**) Support companies: Companies that will support the realization of the project through investigation and consultation regarding the project plan jointly with Candidate Companies, but will not participate in the SPC.

 

3. Scale and Capacity: 44 bottom-mounted offshore wind turbines of 5,000kW each, with a total capacity of 220,000kW

4. Project Site: Offshore Iwafune area; approximately 2 kilometers off the coast of Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture