Wind Generation Growing Steadily Throughout Japan

Three wind plants started operation recently in Japan with financial support from J-Power Co., an active wind generation promoter in Japan. The Nagasaki-Shikamachi Town Wind Farm in Nagasaki Prefecture has 15 generators with an output of 15,000 kW and the Nishihara Wind Farm in Kumamoto Prefecture has 10 generators with an output of 17,500 kW; both these plants started operation on February 28, 2005. The J-Wind Tahara Plant in Aichi Prefecture, which came on stream on March 1, has 11 generators with an output of 22,000 kW. The total annual output of these three plants amounts to about 93 million kWh.

Including these new plants, J-Power now has an interest in seven in-operation wind plants with a combined output of 132,550 kW. This total will reach 210,530 kW when all the wind plants under construction or being planned in which J-Power is involved come on stream.

Meanwhile, Shikoku Electric Power Co. participated for the first time as an investor in a wind generation project being pursued by the Misaki Wind Power Co. located in Misaki-cho, Ehime Prefecture. This plant will start operation in October 2006 with 20 generators producing a total output of 20,000 kW. Its annual output is expected to be about 50 million kWh.

Wind turbine power generation in Japan has become more than sixfold in four years since March 2001, with 924 generators producing about 926,000 kW at the end of March 2005. Challenges to further installation of power mills include technical issues about output instability, an insufficiency of power distribution channels and the lack of systems or regulations obliging power companies to purchase wind-generated electricity at guaranteed prices.



Posted: 2005/06/05 10:44:10 AM
Japanese version