Japanese shipping giant Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and Scotland’s Flotation Energy plc said they will jointly study offshore wind development opportunities in the Asian region, particularly Japan.

As part of the agreement, the partners intend to develop and deliver offshore wind projects in Japan to support the government’s 45-gigawatt (GW) offshore wind target by 2040, part of its objective to be carbon-neutral by 2050.

The new pact builds on the 2GW portfolio of offshore floating wind projects in Japan being developed by Flotation Energy (Japan), starting from Niigata and followed by other areas. MOL will jointly develop the local supply chain and Flotation Energy will manage overall project development.

Commenting on the cooperation, Hirofumi Kuwata, managing executive officer, deputy director general, energy and offshore business Unit, at MOL, says: “The UK is ahead of Japan on offshore wind farm development and MOL believes that this collaboration will accelerate the floating offshore wind farm development in the Japanese market.”

“MOL has a rich knowledge and experience in building, owning, operating and managing ships and offshore floating structures. Those will be a great help for the development of offshore wind farms in Japan and the Asian region,” Kuwata adds.

Tim Sawyer, director of international operations at Flotation Energy, says: "The partnership with MOL is a very significant step for Flotation Energy as it builds its presence in Japan. We bring an innovative approach with fresh eyes in implementing offshore wind projects and look forward to working with MOL to deliver floating offshore wind in Japan."

Flotation Energy is known for its pioneering and innovative approach to offshore wind farm development, and has delivered some 3GW of offshore wind in the UK, including the world's largest floating offshore wind farm, the Kincardine Offshore Wind project in Scotland.

In Asia-Pacific, Flotation Energy is developing a robust pipeline of projects, including in Japan, Taiwan and Australia.