TOKYO -- Japan's largest hydrogen plant powered by offshore wind energy is set to open on the northern island of Hokkaido as part of a national effort to slash carbon dioxide emissions.

Scheduled to begin operation as early as the year ending March 2024, the plant will produce up to roughly 550 tons of hydrogen a year -- enough to fuel more than 10,000 hydrogen vehicles, according to plans.

The effort represents a step toward creating a homegrown supply of hydrogen that is "green," or made using renewable energy. Green hydrogen produced with offshore wind power remains rare worldwide -- particularly in Japan, which lags European nations in building such wind farms.

The 110-megawatt wind farm and the hydrogen facility will be built in the coastal city of Ishikari, the site of other planned green hydrogen projects. The new, larger plant is expected to lift local hydrogen production to 2,500 tons.

Participating in the project are Hokkaido Electric Power, renewable energy developer Green Power Investment, Nippon Steel Engineering and industrial gas supplier Air Water.

The hydrogen plant and wind farm will be built in the Hokkaido coastal city of Ishikari.

Plans call for selling the hydrogen in Hokkaido and shipping it to other parts of the country in a transport network that could include ports in Kobe, on the Sea of Japan coast and other areas.

The hydrogen will be used to generate electricity to power such infrastructure as data centers, cargo equipment in ports and refrigerated warehouses.

The Japanese government aims to attain net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the century. Hydrogen is to play a big part of that goal.