
On October 24, 2024, Vena Energy’s on-shore wind focused subsidiary Japan Wind Energy submitted a draft of the environmental impact assessment for its upcoming 69MW Nishiyama Wind Power Plant to the relevant municipalities including Niigata Prefecture, Kashiwazaki City, Izumozaki Town, and Kariwa Village, as well as to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The company will hold information sessions in Kashiwazaki City and Izumozaki Town in mid-November and accept public commentary on the document until December 9, 2024.
According to the document, Japan Wind Energy plans to install 12 6.5MW wind turbines for a combined output of 69MW. Doing so opposed to the initially planned 18 4.2MW to 4.5MW turbines will allow it to reduce the area required for the project from 1,136ha to 691ha. The 12 turbines will be spread across three sites, two in Kashiwazaki City and one spanning over the Kashiwazaki City and Izumozaki Town border.
If constructed based on the current plan, the Nishiyama Wind Power Plant will be Vena Energy’s largest power plant in Japan. The company’s current portfolio in Japan consists of 30 solar projects including the recently commissioned 53MW Kasama Solar Power Plant and two on-shore wind projects, the 47MW Nakazato Wind Power Plant and the 10MW Reihoku Wind Power Plant.
Nakazato Wind Power Plant was commissioned in November 2022, approximately five years after Vena Energy submitted its draft environmental impact assessment in September 2017.