Three new wind development companies set up

Three new wind development companies have been set up in Japan and will operate three wind farms using Vestas technology. With a combined 19 turbines, the total capacity of the three plant will be 20 MW. Matsuo Bridge Corp and Shiunji Town have established one company, Shiunji Furyoku Windpower KK, near Shiunji Town in Niigata Prefecture. The new developer will install four 480 kW Vestas turbines in December. Matsuo Bridge Corp, a share holder in Vestech Japan Corp, which imports Vestas turbines to Japan, holds 49% of the shares in the new company, while Shiunji Town holds 51%. The second company of the three, Windtech Minami Towada Corp, has been set up by Toyota Tsusho Corp and Matsuo Bridge Corp at Kazuno. Toyota Tsusho holds 90% of the shares and Matsuo Bridge Corp 10%. The company will install nine 850 kW turbines, scheduled for operation next October. The third new company is Windtech Yokohama Town Corp in Yokohama, Aomori Prefecture, with Toyota Tsusho as majority shareholder. It will install six 1.75 MW turbines to go on-line in October 2003. Toyota Tsusho is also planning to establish a wind development company in Kagoshima in the southern part of the country.