METI and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) are preparing to designate areas off the coast of Matsumae Town and Hiyama District as offshore wind Promotion Zones as they prepare for the next auction round expected to be held later this fiscal year. The regions will be the first in Hokkaido to be offered for development under the Act on Promoting the Utilization of Sea Areas.
The ministries released draft designation documents for public viewing between June 25 and July 9, 2025, in line with legal requirements preceding official designation.
Both areas were designated as Promising Zones on May 12, 2023, with review councils issuing no-objection rulings on July 31, 2024, and March 19, 2025, respectively. The consensus was followed by confirmation from relevant stakeholders that both areas meet the requirements for the upgraded status.
The 3,710ha area off the coast of Matsumae is expected by METI to have potential for a 250MW to 320MW power plant. Hiyama is significantly larger, covering 32,160ha off the coast of Setana, Yakumo, Esashi, and Kaminokuni towns. It is estimated to be suitable for a 910MW to 1.14GW project. Developers have already launched environmental impact assessments for projects in the areas, indicating interest in bidding in the upcoming auction ahead of official designation.
Kansai Electric Power is considering a 360MW power plant off the coast of Matsumae and a 1.68GW joint project with RWE Renewables off the coast of Hiyama. J-POWER, Cosmo Eco Power, Hokkaido Electric Power, and a Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries joint venture submitted primary consideration documents for potential assets in the larger area, ranging from 722MW to 1.5GW.
