Today, a report by The Nikkei has drawn global attention from the wind power industry: Danish wind turbine giant Vestas plans to build a complete wind turbine manufacturing facility in Japan, targeting completion and commencement of operations by fiscal year 2029 (ending March 31, 2029).
Currently, Japan relies heavily on overseas imports for most of its fan equipment. The Japanese government aims to establish domestic supply chains and reduce equipment costs by introducing overseas manufacturing bases.
Reports indicate that the factory site selection is currently evaluating Kitakyushu City and Muroran City in Hokkaido. The total investment scale may reach tens of billions of yen (equivalent to billions of RMB). The project is expected to receive subsidy support from the Japanese government, with the maximum subsidy amount potentially reaching up to half of the investment amount.
The initial phase of the factory will focus primarily on nacelle assembly. The Japanese government plans to achieve full-process manufacturing capability for nacelles by fiscal year 2039, and will gradually advance the domestic production of large wind turbines in Japan by integrating components such as blades and towers.
If the plan is implemented, relevant raw materials could be supplied by domestic Japanese companies, including steel from Nippon Steel and components from firms such as Fuji Electric, thereby further enhancing Japan's wind power supply chain system.
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will formally sign a memorandum of understanding with Vestas in the near future to initiate cooperation on factory construction.
Currently, Vestas has installed over 1.748 GW of wind power capacity in Japan. It is the equipment supplier for Japan's largest offshore wind farm, Kitakyushu Hibiki-tani, and has secured an order for the 315 MW offshore wind project in Akita Prefecture.
As of now, specific details such as the factory's location and production capacity have not been disclosed, but Vestas' strategic intent to establish a foothold in Japan and expand its reach across Asia is already clear.
