Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni) has decided to launch a mega-solar power business by constructing a large scale solar power plant at the 105,000 square meters coastal industrial area of Oita No.6 owned by its subsidiary, Marubeni Ennex Corporation, Showa Denko K.K. and others. The total capacity amounts to 81.5MW and it is the largest power business at one single place in Japan.
Marubeni is to create a new special purpose company and start plant construction from November this year. The commissioning and start of the power plant are scheduled after March 2014. The expected annual power generation will be 87,000,000kWh, corresponding to the annual electricity consumption of 30,000 ordinary houses.
The generated power will be sold to Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. over 20 years. This business will be significantly useful to the risk evaluation on future mega-solar power business by collecting data on plant operation, maintenance and troubles, etc., as well as to effective utilization of long unused idle land.
Solar, Lithium, Smart Community Strategic Committee, a cross-division organization of Marubeni, has been playing a central role to promote environmental business including mega-solar. This Oita mega-solar project has been promoted jointly by Energy Division-1 and the Power Projects and Infrastructure Division, employing solar panels handled by the Chemicals Division.
Marubeni is to hold 531.5MW (net basis) of power generation plants from renewable energy sources in 7 countries, including the Oita mega-solar power plant and is determined to spread utilization of renewable energy to meet social demand for the reduction of environmental impact.