Nikken Sekkei Enters the Offshore Wind Power Business
Forms a business alliance with a partner company possessing the latest expertise in Europe’s expanding offshore wind power sector;
Leveraging the synergy between the two companies to provide end-to-end support from preliminary surveys and basic design through to certification acquisition

Nikken Sekkei Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director President and CEO: Atsushi Omatsu) has entered the offshore wind power business by forming a broad-based business alliance with Geomarine Service Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo;Representative Director: Ken Yoshizumi; hereinafter “GMS”) to enter the offshore wind power business sector. The company has begun offering end-to-end support services covering preliminary surveys, foundation design, and certification acquisition necessary for the installation of power generation facilities.

The use of renewable energy is essential for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Among these, the government has set targets for offshore wind power to reach 10 million kW by 2030 and30 million to 45 million kW by 2040. Given the expectations for large-scale deployment, cost reduction, and economic spillover effects, it is considered the key to making renewable energy a mainstay of Japan’s power supply.

While offshore wind power is already expanding in Europe, Japan faces unique environmental challenges such as earthquakes and typhoons, making it impossible to simply adopt Europe’s latest offshore wind technologies and know-how as-is.Furthermore, to design and install offshore wind power facilities in Japan, they must comply with “NK Certification” issued by the Japan Maritime Association (a general incorporated foundation), and proof must be provided that structural safety and other aspects meet Japan’s unique standards.

To address these challenges in the adoption of offshore wind power in Japan and to achieve carbon neutrality by promoting the widespread adoption of offshore wind power generation domestically, Nikken Sekkei has decided to enter the offshore wind power generation business through a business partnership with GMS.

As a group of experts pioneering cutting-edge social and environmental design, Nikken Sekkei possesses not only expertise in the design of onshore wind power facilities but also a proven track record in plant design—including factories and power plants—as well as the design of offshore facilities such as Kansai International Airport Co.,Ltd..Through this broad-based business partnership with GMS—which boasts a global market share in the field of offshore wind power design and possesses the latest European expertise (headquartered in Dublin, Ireland;hereinafter “GDG”)—which boasts a global market share in the field of offshore wind power design and possesses the latest European expertise—will enable Nikken Sekkei to create synergies with the expertise it has cultivated to date. This partnership will facilitate the survey, design, and certification of offshore wind power facilities tailored to the unique environmental conditions of Japan, a country prone to natural disasters.

Offshore wind power generation includes “floating” systems, in which wind turbines are suspended at sea, and “fixed” systems, in which they are anchored to the seabed. While initially targeting fixed systems (monopile and jacket types), the company plans to also engage in the design of floating systems—which are considered to have greater potential and are better suited to Japan’s marine environment—in the medium to long term.Going forward, Nikken Sekkei will work to promote the full-scale adoption of domestic offshore wind power generation following our entry into this business, thereby contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Through a business partnership with GMS, Nikken Sekkei provides the following services in the offshore wind power sector:

(1).	Support for Efficient Survey Implementation Based on GDG and GMS’s cutting-edge expertise in European offshore wind power, we develop efficient survey plans and provide support through to implementation. (Survey Management: GMS)
(2).	Cost-Competitive Wind Turbine Foundation Design Based on structural engineering consulting for wind turbine foundations and towers—drawn from the expertise Nikken Sekkei has cultivated over the years—GMS incorporates the latest findings from European industry-government-academia collaboration projects to develop cost-competitive foundation designs that comply with Japan’s stringent standards. (Structural Engineering Consulting: Nikken Sekkei; Foundation Design: GMS)
(3).	Support for the Certification Process for Wind Turbine Foundation Design For wind turbine foundation designs developed by GMS based on European expertise, Nikken Sekkei ensures compliance with Japan’s unique regulations (NK Certification / Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and provides end-to-end support throughout the complex procedures required to obtain certification. (Responsible for certification acquisition: Nikken Sekkei)

Nikken Sekkei is a professional services firm engaged in architectural and civil engineering design and supervision, urban design, and related survey, planning, and consulting services.For 120 years since our founding in 1900, we have been committed to creating value through “Social and Environmental Design,” which seeks solutions to both apparent and latent social issues, in order to meet the needs of society and the diverse requests of our clients.To date, we have been involved in a wide range of projects in Japan, China, ASEAN, and the Middle East, and in recent years, we have expanded our operations to India and Europe. In March 2021, we issued a “Climate Emergency Declaration” as part of our efforts toward a decarbonized society.

GeoMarine Service Co., Ltd. (GMS) is a joint venture established in April 2022 by four Japanese companies with extensive track records in survey and development, civil and electrical design, and construction for onshore wind power projects in Japan, with the aim of providing solutions for the foundation design of offshore wind power generation.Leveraging the insights gained from its extensive experience in onshore wind power, along with strategic partnerships with Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions (headquartered in Dublin, Ireland), which holds a global market share in the field of offshore wind power design, and Nikken Sekkei, Japan’s largest design firm,we are able to rapidly introduce the latest technologies and know-how from Europe—a leader in offshore wind power—to the Japanese market. We provide comprehensive support for wind turbine foundation design tasks—including preliminary surveys, foundation design, and certification acquisition—which represent major hurdles in the development of offshore wind power projects.

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