Abukuma onshore wind farm commences commercial operations

Its total capacity can energise 120,000 houses.

The Abukuma Wind Power Project, with a total generating capacity of approximately 147,000 kilowatts (kW), has commenced commercial operations.

In a joint statement, Sumitomo Corporation, one of the project’s investors, said the Abukuma wind farm was completed on 31 March and started commercial operations on 2 April under Japan's Feed-in Premium system.

With 46 turbines, each generating 3,200 kW, the Abukuma wind farm, stretching across the ridgelines of Tamura, Okuma, Namie, and Katsurao in Fukushima Prefecture, stands as Japan's largest operational onshore wind farm.

Its annual generation is equivalent to energising approximately 120,000 households.

The renewable energy generated at the wind farm will be supplied to multiple companies and municipalities with business operations in Fukushima Prefecture through corporate power purchase agreements (PPA).

Renewable energy and environmental credits generated by the wind farm will be purchased by the Sumitomo Corporation Group, which will act as an aggregator and enter into corporate PPAs with electricity consumers.

The project is part of the prefecture's initiative to generate more than 100% of its energy demand from renewable energy sources by around 2040.