Japan has designated two new areas for offshore wind development. The government has identified waters off Akita City in the north and Hibikinada, near Fukuoka in the south, as ‘promising zones’ for future offshore wind farms. Under Japan’s regulatory framework, sites progress from ‘preparatory’ to ‘promising’ and finally to ‘promotion zones’, the stage preceding auction and full-scale development.
Alongside the two upgraded sites, three new preparatory zones have been announced off Asahi City in Chiba Prefecture, Goto Island in Nagasaki—where floating turbines are under consideration—and Ichikikushikino City in Kagoshima.
Three areas—Akita, Asahi, and Hibikinada—have also been selected for joint government and local authority surveys under a new ‘centralised approach’ aimed at streamlining environmental assessments and planning approvals.
The government is currently reviewing its auction framework and exploring additional measures to support developers, including steps to stabilise investment conditions and lower project risks.
