Areas such as Akita Prefecture, in northern Japan, have attracted interest from a number of offshore wind power producers. © Akita Yurihonjo Offshore Wind GK/Kyodo

Suga plan for greener Japan stirs hope in wind energy sector

Carbon targets boost confidence of companies behind tricky offshore projects

AKANE OKUTSU and NANA SHIBATA, Nikkei staff writers

May 7, 2021 05:48 JST

TOKYO -- When the Zaratan, a ship with an 800-ton crane on board, arrived in the northern Japanese port of Akita last month it was an occasion to savor for Japanese trading company Marubeni -- the moment when its first commercial wind farm in domestic waters began to take shape.

Back in 2012 Marubeni acquired Zaratan's owner Seajacks, a U.K. operator of vessels used to build and maintain offshore wind farms. Marubeni also invested in U.K. offshore wind projects.