JFE Engineering said it has secured a contract from Kajima to manufacture and transport monopile foundations for an offshore wind project off the coasts of Oga, Katagami and Akita in northern Japan.
The project, led by Oga–Katagami–Akita Offshore Green Energy, will be the first domestic offshore wind scheme to use monopiles manufactured in Japan and is expected to be the earliest project to enter operation under the country’s offshore wind promotion law, the company said.
Manufacturing will be carried out at JFE Engineering’s monopile facility in Kasaoka, Okayama Prefecture, which the company describes as Japan’s only production base dedicated to monopiles for offshore wind.
Under the contract, JFE Engineering will produce and transport 21 monopiles and transition pieces between January 2026 and March 2027. The components will be made using heavy steel plate developed for large-scale offshore wind foundations.
“The scheme will be the first domestic project to feature Japanese-made monopiles,” JFE Engineering said in a statement, highlighting the project’s role in establishing a local supply base for offshore wind infrastructure.
The company added that the Kasaoka plant has the capacity to mass-produce around 50 ultra-large monopiles annually and is supported by dedicated storage facilities and a transport vessel.
JFE Engineering said it aims to provide end-to-end support for offshore wind projects, from design through manufacturing and delivery, as part of efforts to strengthen Japan’s domestic supply chain and contribute to the country’s carbon-neutral objectives.
