Toshiba and GE Renewable Energy said to be in offshore wind talks

Nikkei said the talks currently focus on production in Japan of nacelles for offshore wind turbines. A Toshiba plant in Yokohama could be used to build nacelles. The companies have a track record of having worked together in the nuclear and thermal power generation sectors.

Nikkei noted that Japanese companies have so far failed to make much headway in the fast-growing offshore wind industry, but the Japanese Government considers offshore windfarms to be a core renewable energy source.

A tie-up with Ge Renewable Energy, producer of the Haliade-X offshore wind turbine, would enable the Japanese company to quickly develop an offshore wind business.

As the Nikkei article highlighted, if Japan is to build large-scale offshore windfarms as the government intends, national players will need to start producing core equipment and to come together to form a reliable supply chain.

The report said Toshiba and GE could announce details of an arrangement in March 2021 and could expand their partnership into operations and maintenance services for offshore wind turbines.

Such a deal would enable GE to secure a manufacturing base in Japan as the market takes off.