JAPAN ORGANIZATION FOR METALS AND ENERGY SECURITY
JOGMEC and BVJ sign a Memorandum of Cooperation for Improving Efficiencies of Project Development Process of Japan's Offshore Wind Farm

Since April 2023, JOGMEC has been conducting bathymetry, identification of sea floor objects, wind conditions, meteorological, and oceanographic site surveys for offshore wind development as part of the Japanese Centralized System, whereby the Government of Japan proactively engages in project development from an early stage (Note 1). Currently, JOGMEC is conducting site surveys in six areas in Hokkaido and Yamagata. The results from these site surveys will be provided to offshore wind developers, who participate in public tenders for promotion areas under the Act on Promoting the Utilization of Sea Areas for the Development of Marine Renewable Energy Power Generation Facilities (Act No. 89 of 2018).
 
Under the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan approved by the Cabinet in 2021, Japan intends to introduce 5.7 GW of offshore wind power by Japanese fiscal year 2030, and also, under the Vision for Offshore Wind Power Industry(1st) in 2020, Japan intends to develop 10 GW of offshore wind power by Japanese fiscal year 2030, and in order to achieve this objective, the acceleration of project development is of vital importance (Note 2).
 
In light of this background, JOGMEC and BVJ which is conformity verification organization concluded the MOC to improve efficiencies of project development process of Japan's offshore wind farm, whereby JOGMEC's site survey results contribute to the conformity verification process for construction suitability of planned offshore wind power generation facilities with respect to local environmental and operational conditions. With the conclusion of this MOC, JOGMEC will conduct to improve efficiencies of project development process of Japan's offshore wind farm through the sharing of information on site surveys with a view to conformity verification process.

  (Note 1) For further information related to JOGMEC's Offshore Wind Development Department, please see the website of JOGMEC below.

• Overview of JOGMEC's Site Survey (Available only in Japanese)

(Note 2) For further information related to the Cabinet's approval of the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan, please see the website of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry below.

• The Cabinet approves the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan (Available only in Japanese)

Additional information

1. Japanese Centralized System and JOGMEC's role
   The Act on Promoting the Utilization of Sea Areas for the Development of Marine Renewable Energy Power Generation Facilities (Act No. 89 of 2018, enforced in 2019) established the public tender process of promising areas for selecting offshore wind developers and providing the right to exclusively occupy them for 30 years. At the same time, however, local stakeholders, including the fishing industry, were burdened by the simultaneous site surveys by multiple offshore wind developers. To alleviate this, as part of the Japanese Centralized System, which is a government-push initiative to increase efficiency for project development, the Act of Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation was amended in Japanese fiscal year 2022 to allow JOGMEC to conduct site surveys for obtaining data necessary for feasibility analyses of offshore wind developers. Under the Japanese Centralized System, JOGMEC conducts bathymetry, identification of sea floor objects, wind conditions, meteorological, and oceanographic site surveys to collect data necessary for the offshore wind developers to conduct feasibility analyses, and further, JOGMEC provides such data to offshore wind developers to increase efficiency in project development by reducing the need for each offshore wind developer to conduct its own site survey.
   
   For further information related to the implementation of the Japanese Centralized System, please see the website of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry below.
   • Outline of the Implementation of the Japanese Centralized System for Offshore Wind Power Generation (Available only in Japanese)
2. About BVJ
   Bureau Veritas (headquartered in Paris, France), founded in 1828, is one of the world's largest third-party testing, inspection, and certification organizations, with over 82,000 expert staff operating in 140 countries worldwide. In the field of wind power generation, in March 2023, Bureau Veritas Japan (BVJ) was registered as a conformity verification organization under Article 48-2 of the Electricity Business Act of Japan, as the organization responsible for conducting conformity verification for wind power plants (onshore and offshore) in Japan.
   
   For further information regarding BVJ's renewable energy business, please see the website of BVJ below:
   • WIND - ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE (Available only in in Japanese)