SSE Pacifico plans to develop 6 GW of offshore wind capacity in Japan

SSE Pacifico, the Japanese subsidiary of the UK energy group SSE, has announced plans to develop 6 GW of offshore wind capacity in Japan and to bid in the country’s domestic offshore wind auctions. About half of the targeted capacity will be fixed-bottom type, while the other half will be floating. SSE Pacifico’s pipeline notably includes a planned 500 MW project off the coast of Mihama in Wakayama Prefecture, and another 500 MW project off Omaezaki in Shizuoka Prefecture.

SSE Pacifico was established in 2021 as a joint venture, with SSE Renewables holding an 80% stake and Japan’s Pacifico Energy holding the remaining 20%.

At the national level, Japan plans to commission 10 GW of new offshore wind capacity by 2030 and up to 45 GW by 2040. The country plans to tender about 1 GW of offshore wind projects every year until 2030. As of end-2022, Japan only had 61 MW of operational offshore wind capacity. According to preliminary estimates, Japan surpassed 150 MW of offshore capacity in 2023.