Ishikari Bay New Port

Location

The Ishikari Bay New Port Offshore Wind Farm is located in the waters of Ishikari Bay, off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, specifically between Ishikari City and Otaru City.

Developers and Owners

The project was developed by Green Power Investment Corporation (GPI), and the ownership is now held through a joint venture between JERA Co., Inc. and GPI, managed under the special-purpose company Green Power Ishikari GK.

Capacity and Turbines

The wind farm consists of 14 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 8,000 kW (or 8 MW), manufactured by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. The total power generation capacity of the wind farm is 112,000 kW (or 112 MW), although the connection capacity is slightly lower at 99,990 kW.

Technology and Infrastructure

• The turbines used are the SG 8.0-167 DD model from Siemens Gamesa, which are typhoon and seismic certified and feature a gearbox-less direct drive generator.
• The wind farm is connected to the grid via a 15.5 km 66 kV submarine cable.
• The project includes a project transformer substation with a 180,000 kWh (or 180 MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS), a distinguishing feature required by the local Transmission System Operator due to limited electrical transmission capacity and the need for stable power supply.

Construction

• Onshore construction was carried out by Kajima Corporation.
• Offshore construction was undertaken by a joint venture between Shimizu Corporation and Nippon Steel Engineering Co., Ltd., utilizing a Self-Elevating Platform (SEP) vessel.

Power Purchase and Supply

The electricity generated by the wind farm is supplied to Hokkaido Electric Power Network, Inc. (HEPN) through HEPN’s Nishi Sapporo Substation. The power purchase agreement is set for a period of 20 years.

Environmental Impact

The wind farm is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 202,000 tons per year and can meet the electricity demand of around 83,000 households.

Operational Timeline

• Construction began in September 2022.
• Commercial operations commenced on January 1, 2024, although the official inauguration was in April 2024.

Significance

The Ishikari Bay New Port Offshore Wind Farm is the largest commercial offshore wind farm in Japan and the first in the country to use large 8 MW wind turbines. It aligns with Japan’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 and addresses the increasing demand for renewable energy.