July 3, 2020
Effort under the Act on Promoting the Utilization of Sea Areas for the Development of Marine Renewable Energy Power Generation Facilities
The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ports and Harbours Bureau under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) selected FY2020 “sea areas considered to have progressed to a certain level of preparations for starting projects” and “promising sea areas” for the purpose of future designation of project target areas under the Act on Promoting the Utilization of Sea Areas for the Development of Marine Renewable Energy Power Generation Facilities (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”).
Specifically, they selected ten sea areas as those considered to have progressed to a certain level of preparations for starting projects. As four sea areas out of the ten were determined to be promising areas, ANRE and the Ports and Harbours Bureau will start preparations for organizing the council under the Act and for government-led wind-conditions and geological research in the four areas.
Overview
Under the Act, the government of Japan is required to stipulate basic policies, designate every fiscal year the sea areas as target areas for certain projects for promoting utilization of such areas and then select businesses as organizers of the projects through public calls.
Following on from the first selection of promising sea areas and sites in July 2019, ANRE and the Ports and Harbours Bureau have been collecting and aggregating information on sea areas that municipalities and other organizations hold and offered to ANRE and the bureau from December 13, 2019, to February 14, 2020, for FY2020 selection.
In accordance with the Guidelines for Designating Target Sea Areas in which Power Generation Facilities Using Maritime Renewable Energy are Developed, which was formulated in June 11, 2019, ANRE and the Ports and Harbours Bureau selected ten sea areas which are considered to have progressed to a certain level of preparations for starting projects, based on the information collected from municipalities and other organizations and the opinions offered by a third-party committee of experts.
As four sea areas out of the ten were determined to be promising areas, ANRE and the Ports and Harbours Bureau will start preparations for organizing the council under the Act and for government-led wind-conditions and geological research in the four areas.
Selected ten sea areas considered to have progressed to a certain level of preparations for starting projects
Based on the information offered by municipalities and other organizations, ANRE and the Ports and Harbours Bureau selected the following ten sea areas as those considered to have progressed to a certain level of preparations for starting projects.
- Sea area offshore the Gan-u and Minamishiribeshi regions, Hokkaido Prefecture
- Sea area offshore Hiyama, Hokkaido Prefecture
- Sea of Japan offshore Aomori Prefecture (northern side of the prefecture)
- Sea of Japan offshore Aomori Prefecture (southern side of the prefecture)
- Mutsu Bay, Aomori Prefecture
- Sea area offshore Happo Town and Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture
- Sea area offshore Katagami City and Akita City, Akita Prefecture
- Sea area offshore Yuza Town, Yamagata Prefecture
- Sea area offshore Murakami City and Tainai City, Niigata Prefecture
- Sea area offshore Eno Island, Saikai City, Nagasaki Prefecture
Out of the promising sea areas selected in FY2019, the sea area offshore Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture (estimated power output: about 700,000 kW) was divided into two areas and then they were designated as project target areas from the viewpoints of ensuring competitiveness and other elements. In response, ANRE and the Ports and Harbours Bureau decided to open a call for applicants for project operators for the two areas at a time. Against this backdrop, they may hold discussions on such division concerning the ten selected sea areas above as well according to the estimated power output of the areas.
Promising four sea areas about which preparations for organizing the council under the Act and other actions will start
As the following four sea areas out of the ten have made progress in developing the environment for starting projects, e.g., reaching prior consent with local residents, they were determined to be promising areas. In response, ANRE and the Ports and Harbours Bureau will start preparations for organizing the council under the Act and for government-led wind-conditions and geological research in the four areas.
- Sea of Japan offshore Aomori Prefecture (northern side of the prefecture)
- Sea of Japan offshore Aomori Prefecture (southern side of the prefecture)
- Sea area offshore Happo Town and Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture
- Sea area offshore Eno Island, Saikai City, Nagasaki Prefecture
Points to be noted in advancing projects in the future in six areas out of the ten
In the six sea areas of the ten, except the four areas mentioned in Item 3 above, projects should be advanced in the future bearing in mind the following points to be noted.
- Sea area offshore the Gan-u and Minamishiribeshi regions, Hokkaido Prefecture
Securing power grids as well as identification of and coordination with stakeholders are needed. - Sea area offshore Hiyama, Hokkaido Prefecture
Securing power grids as well as identification of and coordination with stakeholders are needed. - Mutsu Bay, Aomori Prefecture
Identification of and coordination with stakeholders are needed. - Sea area offshore Katagami City and Akita City, Akita Prefecture
Identification of and coordination with stakeholders are needed. - Sea area offshore Yuza Town, Yamagata Prefecture
Securing power grids is needed. - Sea area offshore Murakami City and Tainai City, Niigata Prefecture
Securing power grids as well as identification of and coordination with stakeholders are needed.
Note: The respective names of the selected sea areas released herein are those offered by the municipalities among other information they presented.
