Japan Designates New Offshore Renewable Energy Promotion Zones

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan have designated two new offshore areas, Hokkaido Matsumae and Hokkaido Hiyama, as promotion zones under the Act on Promotion of Utilization of Sea Areas for Marine Renewable Energy Power Generation Facilities.

• The designation followed public inspection, consultations with related administrative agencies, and opinion hearings with prefectural governors and councils, confirming compliance with legal standards.
• Future steps include formulating public recruitment guidelines under Article 13 of the Act to select operators for marine renewable energy power projects within these promotion zones.