Softbank and Mitsui join forces for 42MW of PV projects

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Japanese mobile telecom company Softbank and trading company Mitsui & Co have announced that the two companies will partner in the construction of two utility-scale solar plants in Japan.

Japanese news outlets reported that SB Energy, the division of the Softbank Group responsible for renewable energy generation, and Mitsui & Co, one of Japan's largest trading companies, will build a total of 42MW capacity – one plant of 22.4MW and another of 19.6MW.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The two new plants will be built on the island of Kyushu, to the south of the main Japanese island Honshu. Several large scale projects have been built on Kyushu, including Japan’s largest PV plant to date, a 70MW installation in Kagoshima which was inaugurated recently.

Both of the new power stations, the 22.4MW Softbank Kumamoto Arao Solar Park in Kumamoto prefecture and the 19.6MW Softbank Omuta Miike Port Solar Park, will be built on land owned by fossil fuel company Nippon Coke & Engineering. Kumamoto Arao Solar Park will have an annual output of around 21,896MWh per year, while Omuta Miike Port Solar Park will have an estimated output of 20,050MWh per year.

The plants will be jointly owned and operated by Mitsu & Co and SB Energy. The two companies have collaborated previously on several renewable energy projects and have formed a special purpose company (SPC) for the newly announced plants. The SPC is currently headquartered in Tokyo but is expected to be moved to offices local to the parks.

Softbank chief executive officer Masayoshi Son, one of Japan’s richest men, estimated to be worth around US$13 billion, is a vocal advocate for renewable energy.

The two newly announced solar power stations will begin construction in January 2014, expected to finish by the end of the 2014 Japanese financial year in March 2015. In addition to the two new plants, Mitsui & Co and SB Energy began construction in October on a 111MW PV plant in Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Read Next

July 14, 2025
ACWA Power has signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) for five solar PV projects in the country.
July 14, 2025
Elements Green has secured €80 million (US$93.5 million) in financing from Danish investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).
July 14, 2025
Solar and storage developer MN8 Energy has raised US$575 million to refinance three PV projects in North Carolina, Kentucky and Illinois.
July 14, 2025
OpenSolar has launched a new model to help US rooftop solar installers reduce costs and thrive despite the loss of the 30% IRA tax credit.
July 14, 2025
Analyst Wood Mackenzie has forecast that solar PV and wind installations in the US will be 100GW lower than expected between 2025 and 2030 with the removal of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentives.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK