Japan Closes 2020 With 4,372 MW of Wind Power Capacity: JWPA

Japan Wind Power Association (JWPA) has released a detailed report, announcing Japan’s total generated wind power in 2020. According to the data provided, the countryi installed a wind power generation capacity of 4,372 MW across 2,531 generating units by the end of December 2020.

JWPA surveyed and then announced cumulative installed capacity. Also, JWPA declares that the country has seen the net new installation of 449 MW across 141 units at 19 sites for 2020 from January to December.

Interestingly, the annual new installation has increased about 1.65 times from 271 MW in 2019. As the installed capacity at the end of December 2019 was 3,923 MW. It was the maximum annual installation in wind power history in Japan in 2020.

The report tells about the cumulative installed offshore capacity at the end of December 2020. It counts for a wind capacity of 58.6 MW across 28 units at 7 sites including semi-offshore capacity. However, the wind capacity excluding semi-offshore stood at 14.4 MW across 5 units at 4 sites.

Consequently, the country held a floating offshore wind capacity of 12 MW across 4 units at 3 sites. However, one 7MW floating turbine at Fukushima was decommissioned in 2020 and not a single new offshore wind turbine operation started in Japan in 2020.

Earlier in October 2020, global energy, chemicals, renewables, metals, and mining research and consultancy group, Wood Mackenzie released a report which said, the second quarter of 2020 (Q2) saw more than 17 GW of wind turbine capacity ordered globally. This equates to an estimated USD 16 billion, according to the report.

The US and China combined for a nearly 18 GW drop in Q2 YoY order capacity. Global offshore order intake captured 38 percent – or 6.5 GW – of all Q2 orders, which is an increase of 40 percent YoY.