Greentech Lead Asia: Kyocera Corporation, IHI Corporation
and Mizuho Corporate Bank have partnered to construct a 70 MW solar power plant
in Japan and to explore a business model for utility-scale solar power
generation.
With this solar project, the three companies are
targeting to solve Japan’s power supply issues caused by the effects of
the Great East Japan Earthquake. They will contribute to environmental
protection, including the reduction of CO2 emissions. The plant will be located
at Kagoshima City.
The Kyocera Group will supply solar modules for the
project and part of the construction & maintenance of the system. The plant
will utilize approximately 290,000 Kyocera multicrystalline solar modules, with
a total capacity of 70 MW. When completed this will be the largest officially
announced solar power plant in Japan.
The project will generate approximately 79,000 MWh of
annual electricity, equivalent power for roughly 22,000 average households, and
will help to offset roughly 25,000 tons of CO2 per year.
IHI will lease the land and actively participate in the
operation of the project and Mizuho CB will devise a financing plan for the
project. IHI owns the 314 acres of land of the proposed plant. The construction
of the project is expected to begin in July of this year. The total project
cost is estimated at approximately 25 billion yen (approx. 309 million US
dollars).
With the cooperation of the Kagoshima prefectural and
municipal governments and others in the local area, the companies seek to both
revitalize the local area, and through the spread of renewable energy use, to
contribute to the preservation of the environment and the advancement of
society.
The partners will establish a special-purpose company to
undertake the business operation of the mega-solar plant, with Kyocera planning
to become the largest shareholder.
Kyocera and IHI plan to get cooperation for investment in
the special-purpose company from KDDI Corporation; Kyudenko Corporation;
Kagoshima Bank; Takenaka Corporation and others.
Recently, Kyocera
and SB Energy partnered to build and operate a 4.2 MW solar power plant at
Kyoto City in Japan.
editor@greentechlead.com