Photo Credit – jcomp from Freepik

Vestas decided to donate to Akita Prefectural Oga Marine High School in Japan the items that contribute to education and human resource development in the fields related to offshore wind energy and held a donation ceremony at the school on June 5, 2023.

Vestas supplied and installed 33 wind turbines in the Akita Noshiro Offshore Wind Energy Project by Akita Offshore Wind Corporation, the first large-scale commercial offshore wind energy project in Japan. It also provided operation and maintenance services for up to 20 years to both Offshore Wind Farms in Akita Port and Noshiro Port, which are now in commercial operation.

Akita Prefectural Oga Marine High School is the only high school in the prefecture with a marine department. In addition to basic knowledge and skills related to fisheries and the ocean, students can learn specialised knowledge and skills about marine resources such as fish and shellfish and ship navigation. In recent years, in order to respond to the increasing introduction of offshore wind energy in the prefecture, the school has been actively engaging in practical learning and qualifications in the fields related to offshore wind energy, such as learning about marine environmental surveys and conservation management, and acquiring qualifications of port diving engineer and marine engineer.

Vestas considers nurturing the next generation through education and skill development as one of the target areas of community engagement. Vestas has decided to donate to Akita Prefectural Oga Marine High School in order to support its initiatives. The items for donation are underwater drones and related equipment used in marine department classes, which are equivalent to a total of 4 million yen.

Netoshi Kuriyama, Representative Director and Country Manager of Vestas Japan, said: “Through the Akita Noshiro Offshore Wind Project, we were able to cooperate and build strong relationships with many partners in Japan and the people in Akita Prefecture. Local communities are important stakeholders in our wind projects around the world and wherever we do business, we always aim to bring value to them. We hope that the donation to Akita Prefectural Oga Marine High School will contribute to the education and nurturing of the next generation in the community, and will help spread more knowledge and understanding among the future generations who want to be involved in the renewable industry in the future.”

Hiroyuki Asano, principal of Akita Prefectural Oga Marine High School, said: “At our school, we aim to have a curriculum that is open to society. For offshore wind energy, which is expected to develop in the future, we collaborate with the industry and promote initiatives that take advantage of the characteristics of our school’s marine department, such as learning and acquiring qualifications that lead to the development of ship crews and maintenance personnel. Through the donation, we hope to further enhance the content of each subject of the marine department and promote effective learning by students.”