JAPAN Trends and Developments Contributed by: Takahiro Kobayashi, Shigeki Okatani, Yusuke Murakami and Hirohiko Tanaka, Mori Hamada
responsible entities. This system has now entered the implementation phase, with certified operators being publicly disclosed. The certification system is designed to encourage consolidation under entities with demonstrated capa- bilities in local community engagement, safety man- agement, and long-term operational capacity. This policy direction may have a substantive screening effect on secondary transactions and portfolio con- solidation in the PV sector. Certified operators (“Qualified Business Operators”), including their Closely Related Parties, receive pref- erential treatment. Most notably, they may use prior notification measures (such as posting) instead of holding briefing sessions when making changes to certified projects. Other benefits include: • expanded use of supervision systems for chief electrical engineers; • applicable reserve period for disposal expenses when installing additional panels; and • advance disclosure of information on prospective PV business sellers. Certification criteria include: • compliance with relevant laws and regulations by the applicant and its Closely Related Parties; • having the necessary capacity and management systems for long-term stable operation (applicants must be listed Kabushiki Kaisha or companies funded by local governments); • having established goals for long-term stable implementation; and • that neither the applicant nor its Closely Related Parties may be subject to an unremedied improve- ment order, certification revocation within the past two years, or a current reserve order under the New FIT/FIP Act. Offshore wind power Offshore wind power is considered to be essential for the further growth of renewable energy in Japan. The government has been introducing various policy measures, including legislation to establish new rules
for the use of offshore areas, to promote offshore wind power, and has set project formation targets of 10 GW by 2030 and 30–45 GW by 2040. In line with this trend, and despite recent challenges faced by offshore wind projects, efforts to advance the development of offshore wind farms in Japan have continued. Following the commercial operation of the first large-scale commercial offshore wind project in Japan in two port areas in Akita Prefecture in January 2023, the project developed at Ishikari Bay New Port in Hokkaido started commercial operation in January 2024, and Hibikinada Wind Farm in Kita-Kyushu city commenced operations in March 2026. Several other offshore wind projects are also under development. Regarding project sites, the Port Act was amended in 2016 to create a legal framework to allow renewable energy projects to use port areas ( kouwan kuiki , or regulated offshore areas around certain designated ports) for longer periods. In addition, a new law to establish a legal framework to ensure the long-term occupancy of offshore areas in Japan’s territorial waters and internal waters, excluding port areas, for developing offshore wind-power projects, the “Marine Renewable Energy Act”, came into force in April 2019. The Marine Renewable Energy Act established rules for the use of offshore areas for wind-power projects, and provides for: • the designation of “promotion zones” to allow the long-term occupation of certain marine areas for the construction of offshore wind-power plants; • a competitive bidding process to determine the developer and tariff/premium; and • a framework to accommodate the interests of stakeholders. Under the Marine Renewable Energy Act, three rounds of bidding for a total of ten promotion zones have been completed so far. In addition, the government has identified 28 potential marine areas where project preparations have pro- gressed to a certain extent; among these marine are- as, the government has designated two as “promotion zones” and nine as “promising areas”.
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