Regional Spatial Analysis of the Offshore Wind Potential in Japan

Yannek Bardenhagen and Toshihiko Nakata
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Yannek Bardenhagen: School of Mechanical Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
Toshihiko Nakata: Department of Management Science and Technology, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-11-815 Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-18

Abstract: This study presents an approach for estimating the offshore wind potential of Japan. Bathymetry data (1 km mesh) and near shore wind speed data of the year 2018 were used to assess the potential. A turbine with a peak power of 10.6 MW was employed for the analysis. The potential was calculated for multiple regions. These regions are based on the service areas of the major electricity supply companies in Japan. Overall, the results show that Japan has the potential to produce up to 32,028 PJ electricity per year. The electricity demand of 2018 amounts to 3231 PJ. The potential is therefore large enough to cover Japan’s electricity needs ten-times over. The capacity that could theoretically be installed amounts to 2720 GW, which is a multiple of the current worldwide installed capacity of 29.1 GW (2019). In addition to the huge potential, the regional assessment shows that the regions vary greatly in their potential; of all the considered regions, Hokkaido and Kyushu have the highest overall potential.

Keywords: offshore wind; Japan; offshore wind potential; regional analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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