A consortium represented by Mitsubishi Corporation Energy Solutions has been appointed for three offshore wind power developments in Akita, northern Japan, and Choshi City in Chiba Prefecture, close to Tokyo.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) say they have selected Mitsubishi Corporation Energy Solutions Ltd., C-Tech Corporation, and Mitsubishi Corporation for the projects.

The winner of the 391-megawatt (MW) wind farm off the coast of Choshi in Chiba is a consortium of Mitsubishi Corp Energy Solutions, Mitsubishi Corp and C-Tech Corp, a subsidiary of Chubu Electric Power Co.

The same consortium secured the rights for the 479MW wind farm off the coast of Noshiro, Mitane and Oga in Akita, while a third consortium of the same three companies and Venti Japan Inc, an Akita-based renewable energy firm, was selected for the 819MW project off the coast of Yurihonjyo in Akita.

According to the industry and land ministries, five bidders had contended to develop the Yurihonjo project, five to develop Noshiro Mitane Oga, and two to develop Choshi, including established European firms such as Denmark’s Orsted, Norway’s Equinor and Germany’s RWE.

The three wind energy projects are scheduled to start operation between September 2028 and December 2030 in line with Japanese legislation to promote the use of its marine areas for renewable power generation.

The projects form part of Japan’s ambition to increase its renewable power capacity in order to achieve its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050.

Under former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Japan set a target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 46% before 2030 compared with 2013 levels and reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Earlier this year, a consortium of six companies headed by construction and civil engineering firm Toda Corporation was chosen to build an offshore 16.8MW floating wind project near Goto City, Nagasaki Prefecture.