SUSTAINABILITY

ZEROCARBONCITIES

Left: The widespread use of electricvehicles is an inevitable step for Japanas it aims to decarbonize its
automobile industry. Goto plans tointroduce 200 such vehicles by 2030.
Right: A large tidal generator wasinstalled in the offshore waters ofNaru-Seto in January 2021. With an
output of 500 kW, it generated about
80,000 kWh of electricity in somethree months from the start of theexperiment, equivalent to themonthly power consumption of 360
ordinary households.
Kyuden Mirai Energy Co., INC.

HERALD CARBON NEUTRALITY
Zero-carbon cities, at the forefront of a vision
to make Japan carbon neutral by 2050,
are generating a wave of innovative changes acrossthe country. Taking advantage of its geographicalfeatures, Goto City is looking to reducecarbon-dioxide emissions while
Goto
revitalizing the community.

A floating offshore wind turbine off thecoast of Goto City. Utilizing its
favorable conditions—the strong windsthat blow throughout the year and thewaters’ depth—the city began Japan’s
first demonstration project for such aturbine in 2010. It was also the earliest
to operate the turbine commercially,starting in 2016.
Hoichi Nishiyama

Every morning before going to work, thecommuter looks at her smartphone to check theamount of charge left in her electric car. Everythingin her home—from the air conditioning to the water
heater—is optimally controlled by digital technology,
reducing operating costs and making housework
easier. She then leaves for her office, driving along thestunning coast while gazing at an offshore wind farm.
Her office building, distinguished by a solar panel
facade, gets all of its electricity from local renewableenergy sources.
This is what the lives of the residents of Goto City,
consisting of more than 150 islands in Nagasaki
Prefecture, will be like in 2050.
Goto is one of Japan’s “zero-carbon cities” whose
governments have declared that they will reduce
their greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

The Japanese government, which aims for the entire
country to achieve carbon neutrality by that year,
is providing various types of assistance to zerocarbon cities, including planning, capacity building,and equipment installation. The number of local
governments signing on to the initiative has been
increasing rapidly—from four in September 2019
to 444 by August 2021—representing 111.4 million
people, some 88% of Japan’s population. The aim isto trigger a “decarbonization domino effect” in whichsuch local initiatives will catalyze similar efforts intheir neighbors, leading to a nationwide movement
toward carbon neutrality.
The way in which a particular municipality pursues
the zero-carbon city initiative will be designed carefully
to take advantage of its unique local characteristics.
Goto City is surrounded by ocean and has strong

offshore winds. These conditions made it ideal for thecity to become the first in Japan to introduce a floating
offshore wind energy system. While an offshore windturbine is usually installed at sea by driving a monopile
into the seabed, a floating wind turbine sits on thewater, much like a vessel, and is moored by three chains.
This makes it relatively easy to install and move, with aminor impact on the environment. Since the structure
can be set up in deep-water locations, there is muchanticipation regarding its introduction across parts ofAsia that are surrounded by deep seas. Another key
feature of the system is its resilience to typhoons. Evenif tilted significantly by strong winds, it is designed toreturn to its original position. “Although Goto is said
to lie directly in the path of typhoons, our floating
system has yet to be damaged by one,” says MURAI
Yasutaka, director of the city’s Renewable Energy
Promotion Office.
The single floating wind turbine currently inoperation in Goto has a maximum power output of
2,000 kW (equivalent to the annual power needs of
1,800 ordinary households). More than 51% of thecity’s electricity is already produced by renewableenergy sources, which include not only offshore wind
power but also others such as solar power. The city
plans to build the offshore wind farm by 2023 by
expanding the number of floating wind turbines toabout 10, which is estimated to result in over 80% of
the city’s electricity demands being met by renewablesources.
With the aim to decarbonize the entire region,
Goto is also pioneering demonstration projects fortidal power generation and a hydrogen fuel cell ship.
The city is also committed to raising the ecologicalawareness of its residents in order to promote the useof electric vehicles and reduce waste. These efforts

have already brought about some positive results:
renewable energy is often a topic when local issues
are discussed in high school classes, and students haveused drones to survey coastal marine litter.
Initiatives for carbon neutrality have already created
new employment opportunities in the renewableenergy field in Goto, invigorating the city. Recently,
many people in their 20s and 30s have been moving
to the city, resulting in a positive net migration rate
for two consecutive years since 2019. “I want to makea community where each and every industry thrives,
and where people will want to continue living, bothfor the job opportunities and for the sustainableenvironment,” says Murai. Utilizing local strengths
and cutting-edge technologies to create societiesthat protect and nurture both the environment
and people, zero-carbon cities are on the cusp ofgenerating a wave of change across the country.

Goto regularly holds tours of thefloating offshore wind turbine andseminars on renewable energy forstudents and the public, in an effort
to raise awareness of the need to build
sustainable communities that care forthe environment.