Giant shipowner NYK Line is pursuing Japanese crew transfer vessel (CTV) business through a new joint venture.

The fresh tie-up with compatriot tug company Akita Eisen underlines NYK's increasing focus on the offshore wind sector following a series of agreements in the last year or so.

The new outfit will operate mainly in the waters off Akita prefecture.

Japan has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, and NYK said offshore wind power generation is one of the areas where market expansion is most expected.

The aim is to install facilities capable of producing between 30 GW and 45 GW per year by 2040.

CTVs will transport workers to new turbine sites.

NYK added that Akita has been selected as a "promotion area" for wind farms. Public construction tenders are being launched.

Partnerships in place

Tokyo-listed NYK has already made a move into CTVs through collaboration with Sweden's Northern Offshore Group that began last year.

The two companies are working on a design for a ship to operate in Japan.

In January this year, NYK teamed up with the country's largest geotechnical investigation organisation to push forward its wind farm vessel ambitions.

OYO Corp will work with NYK and its European vessel operating partner, Fugro, to lay the groundwork for offshore power generation.

Before constructing an offshore wind power plant, the companies will need to collect geotechnical data in the sea at the proposed site.

In November 2020, Tokyo-listed NYK had agreed a deal with Fugro to jointly operate an offshore geotechnical investigation vessel (GIV) and provide cone penetration tests (CPTs) in Japan.

The first GIV is planned for 2022.

And NYK is also working with Dutch shipowner Van Oord to operate turbine installation ships, with the first planned for 2022.

The move by the Japanese shipping giant comes as the country's wind power sector currently generates a small proportion of the country's electricity. As of 2017, Japan had a total installed capacity of 3,399 MW.