Monthly Report

Two consortia express interest in developing 2GW Hokkaido-Honshu Sea of Japan interconnector

December 26, 2024
Submarine Cable
OCCTO targets FY2030 completion of the project.

Two consortia expressed interest in developing the planned Sea of Japan-side 2GW HVDC submarine interconnector between Hokkaido and Honshu, OCCTO’s Cross-regional Grid Development Committee revealed on December 25, 2024.

According to the committee’s documents, the first consortium consists of Hokkaido Electric Power Network, Tohoku Electric Power Network, and TEPCO Power Grid, i.e., the transmission and distribution arms of the former utilities serving the three areas to be connected by the new link, and J-POWER Transmission Network.

The other consortium consists of Japan Interconnector, UK’s Frontier Power, and Frontier Power Asia, a 50:50 joint venture between the two. Japan Interconnector was established in 2022 and aims to develop interconnectors connecting Japan with South Korea and Taiwan. Frontier Power, on the other hand, was one of the early-stage developers of the NeuConnect interconnector between the UK and Germany that is currently under construction.

OCCTO plans to inform the two consortia of their eligibility to submit proposals by around January 2025, receive detailed proposals by late December 2025, and award the project around the end of FY2025 (March 2026).

Completion of the project, which will significantly expand transmission capacity from the renewables-rich Hokkaido to the high-power demand Tokyo area, is targeted for early 2030s at an estimated cost of 1.5 to 1.8 trillion yen (approximately $9.5 to $11.5 billion). For comparison, the slightly shorter and lower capacity Viking Link (UK-Denmark) and North Sea Link (UK-Norway) 1.4GW HVDC submarine interconnectors cost approximately $2.2 billion each to complete.

Correction (December 27, 2024): Target commissioning date was incorrectly indicated as FY2030. Latest OCCTO documents estimate construction will take six to 10 years to complete.

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