“As one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies RWE sees great potential for offshore wind parks on the coastline of Japan. Our strategy is to join forces with Japanese partners whose local expertise complements our global experience and technical know-how, and who share our values and our ambition to drive the growth of offshore wind in Japan.”
Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, CEO, RWE Renewables
Today RWE Renewables announced the opening of its first Asian office in Tokyo, Japan. Led by the Japanese Country Manager and staffed with three more wind industry experts, the new Tokyo office will support RWE’s ambitions to expand its renewables business to Japan.
“We expect Japan’s offshore wind industry to gain real momentum,” says Sven Utermöhlen, COO Global Offshore Wind, RWE Renewables. “The Japanese government has plans to considerably increase the role of offshore wind energy in electricity production. With clear regulations and a public tender scheme now in place, we see offshore wind as a crucial element of the transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy”, he adds.
RWE has recently committed itself to becoming carbon-neutral by 2040. Following a recent asset swap with E.ON, RWE Renewables, the newest subsidiary of RWE, now has more than 9 gigawatts of installed capacity and 2.6 gigawatts under construction. The company has particularly strong capabilities and long-term expertise in the development, construction and operation of large offshore wind farms. With a total installed offshore wind capacity of 2.5 gigawatts, RWE Renewables ranks number 2 globally.
Earlier this year, RWE Renewables (operating at that time as E.ON Climate & Renewables) announced its ambitions to leverage its offshore experience and capabilities to enter the Japanese offshore wind market. In the meantime, the company has signed first partnership agreements with local firms, e. g. with Kyuden Mirai Energy, the developer of the Hibiki-nada Offshore Wind Farm Project in Kita-Kyushu. The new partners plan to jointly develop, build and operate fixed bottom projects mostly in the Kyushu area with a view to expanding the collaboration to other projects across Japan in the near future.