Japan’s Kansai and RWE signs offshore wind pact

They will be studying the feasibility of large-scale projects off the country's coast

The Kansai Electric Power (Kansai EPCO) and RWE Renewables (RWE) have signed an agreement to jointly study the feasibility of a large-scale floating offshore wind project off the Japanese coast, according to a report in Renews Biz.

The two companies mutually strengthened their existing relationship, and leveraged their complementary strengths to support Japan’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

"We see great potential for floating wind farms worldwide - but especially in countries with deeper coastal waters, like Japan," said RWE Renewables CEO for global offshore wind Sven Utermöhlen. He added that the floating wind project could help raise untapped potential off the Japanese coast.

"With Kansai EPCO we have a partner by our side whose local expertise complements our global experience and technical know-how, and who shares our values and ambition to drive the growth of offshore wind in Japan," Utermöhlen said

 "As a leading company of zero-carbon energy, we have declared that Kansai Electric Power Group is aiming for carbon neutrality throughout the entirety of its business activities including power generation by 2050,” said Kansai EPCO executive vice president Nozomu Mori. "We believe that development of floating offshore wind farms will be the key to achieve this.”