A new wind farm in Hokkaido has started commercial operations after completing its southern section. Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation announced that its subsidiary, Dohoku Wind Farm LLC, finished construction of the Ashikawa Wind Farm, which has a total capacity of 128.8 megawatts (MW). The facility is located in Toyotomi Town and consists of 31 wind turbines, each with an output of 4.3 MW.
The electricity generated by the wind farm will be supplied to Hokkaido Electric Power Network Inc. It is expected to provide energy for around 76,000 households and reduce carbon emissions by 142,000 tonnes annually. The project is part of a larger wind power initiative known as the Dohoku Wind Power Generation Project. This initiative includes six wind farms in northern Hokkaido: Hamasato, Kawaminami, Kawanishi, Kabaoka, Yuchi, and now Ashikawa. With the completion of Ashikawa, the total capacity of the project has reached 434.5 MW.
Apart from large wind farms, Japan has smaller renewable energy projects in different regions. The Kanoya Floating Solar Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture is a 2.3 MW solar facility built on a reservoir used for agriculture. In Kumamoto Prefecture, the Yatsushiro Biomass Power Station operates with a 4.8 MW capacity, using organic materials to generate electricity. The Tsu Geothermal Demonstration Project in Mie Prefecture produces 3 MW of power and is being used to study geothermal energy potential. In Aomori Prefecture, the Higashidori Small Wind Project consists of five turbines with a total capacity of 3 MW. The Miyako Ocean Energy Pilot Plant in Iwate Prefecture generates 1 MW using wave and tidal energy as part of ongoing research on marine renewables.
Japan continues to increase its renewable energy capacity through both large and small projects. These developments contribute to electricity generation across different regions and add to the country’s energy mix.
