Norwegian energy giant Equinor is shutting down its offshore wind business in Japan, closing its Tokyo office by the end of this year, while simultaneously pushing ahead with major offshore wind projects in Poland.
The decision to leave Japan comes after the company failed to secure any lease agreements in the country’s auctions since starting operations there in 2018. Equinor follows Orsted, which withdrew from Japan in 2024. The offshore wind industry globally is facing rising costs and supply chain constraints.
Equinor has also scaled back in Vietnam, Spain, Portugal and France. In May it cancelled its Bandibuli floating offshore wind project in South Korea but remains in the Donghae 1 project. The company revised its renewable energy targets in June, dropping a 2030 installed capacity goal to focus on integrated energy markets combining renewables with gas-fired power.
Strategic retreat from Asia
– This decision reflects a reassessment of Equinor’s strategic direction with increased emphasis on integrated energy markets – the company stated. Equinor, whose core business remains oil and gas extraction, is now concentrating on markets where it can combine its strengths.
In Japan, only JERA, the largest domestic power producer, is moving forward with offshore wind construction, starting work on a farm in Akita earlier this year. The Japanese government’s efforts to reduce energy import dependence are hampered by high project costs.
Polish Baltic projects gain momentum
In contrast, Equinor’s Polish offshore projects are progressing rapidly. As a technology partner to Polenergia, it is developing three wind farms – Baltyk I, II and III. Construction of Baltyk II and III began on 1 May 2026. The cost is estimated at 27 billion PLN, with a contract for difference price of 481 PLN per MWh.
– In one month we installed around 30 foundations: monopiles with transition pieces. We have the possibility to use the installation fleet until the end of September. So far the campaign is proceeding according to plan and we will soon be at its halfway point – said Grzegorz Kotte, offshore wind farm advisor at Polenergia.
Equinor also won a legal dispute with the Trump administration and is continuing construction of the Empire Wind farm off New York. The contrasting fortunes show how Equinor is concentrating its offshore wind investments in markets it considers most strategic, with Poland emerging as a key hub for its Baltic Sea developments.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock
