North-east to get 100 MW of new capacity

The north-east of Japan will see 100 MW of new wind capacity installed during the next two years. Three private wind developers have won tenders to supply utility Tohoku Electric Power Company with a combined total of 90.35 MW across four projects. Eurus Energy Holdings Corp, formerly Tomen, will develop two-thirds of the new capacity, including the biggest of the four projects -- a 50 MW wind farm in Aomori prefecture at Kamikita-gun near Noheji. The company will also develop a 12 MW project in the same prefecture, at Shimokita-gun near Totsu. Both developments are expected online in October 2006. The remaining 28.25 MW will be developed by M-Winds and Japan Wind Development Company (JWDC). M-Winds will develop a 25.5 MW project in Akita-prefecture, at Yamamoto-gun near Hichiryu. It is due online in September 2006. A 2.85 MW project, at Kamikita-gun, Rokkash, also in Aomori-prefecture is due to brought online in February 2005 by JWDC. While final power purchase contracts are still being negotiated, all of them will run for 17 years, with the upper limit of the purchase price around ´10/kWh ($0.09/kWh). In addition to these projects, several local and semi-government wind developers have won permits for nine smaller projects in the north-east with a combined capacity of 10.37 MW.