Japan’s largest power company, JERA, has announced the creation of a new global renewable energy business to be located in the UK. The new renewable arm, named JERA Nex, will be headed up by Nathalie Oosterlinck, JERA’s head of global renewables. 

JERA Nex will be entirely focused on renewables, with plans to develop, own and operate renewable energy assets including solar power, battery energy storage and both onshore and offshore wind. The UK was chosen as the global headquarters due to its position as a major renewables player, notably the world’s second-largest offshore wind market. In a press release announcing JERA Nex’s creation, the company also said that the UK’s expertise in financing and developing renewable projects as well as its “significant talent pool” played a major role in the decision. 

The launch of JERA Nex marks the next stage in JERA’s push for renewables dominance, an ambition that the company has been developing since the launch of its renewables strategy in 2020. JERA has been growing its global renewables presence in recent years, particularly with offshore wind; in addition to partnering with the US to reduce offshore floating wind project costs recently, the company closed its acquisition of Parkwind, Belgium’s largest offshore wind platform, in 2023. 

Global CEO and chair of JERA, Yukio Kani, said in the press release: “We have outlined a vision to reach zero emissions by 2050, and the birth of JERA Nex plays a critical role in our strategic pillars for delivering that ambition. JERA Nex will enable us to draw upon expertise from across the world to develop renewable projects, forge partnerships, and build assets that contribute to a future of decarbonized energy with sustainability, affordability and stability.” 

“With the launch of JERA Nex, we are bringing together passionate renewable energy people from across the world,” added Oosterlinck, CEO of JERA Nex. “Our teams have already delivered pioneering offshore wind farms, from the Taiwan Strait to the Belgian North Sea, as well as leading several onshore projects across the world, making JERA Nex well placed to deliver clean energy for a sustainable future.”