A plan has emerged to construct Japan’s largest solar photovoltaic power plant with an output of 70 MW. The plan was announced April 10 by Kyocera Corporation, IHI Corporation and Mizuho Corporate Bank. They plan to install 290,000 polycrystalline silicon solar panels on a reclaimed site owned by IHI in the city of Kagoshima. The total amount of investment will be 25 billion yen.
Although the start of construction is planned for July this year, the scheduled start of operation is yet to be decided. Whether they will start the 70-MW operation at once or increase the output stepwise is also open to further discussion.
A system that obligates electric utilities to purchase the entire amount of electricity generated by renewable energy sources will start in Japan in July this year. The details of the system, such as purchase prices, are now being discussed. The planned photovoltaic power plant envisages making use of this system and selling electricity to Kyushu Electric Power Co, Inc.
