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TOKYO—Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that it has won a major contract to develop a mega solar power generation project for Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc. (TEPCO) (TOKYO: 9501), under which Toshiba's systems will be installed in the Ukishima Solar Power Plant (provisional name) in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture, which will have an approximately 7MW capacity. The order is that second Toshiba has secured for a multi-MW PV project, and follows the award for equipment for a 7.5MW capacity multi-MW PV project at Taketoyo Thermal Power Station in Taketoyo, Aichi prefecture, announced in August 2009.

The Ukishima Solar Power Plant is located in the Waterfront District in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture. The plant will have an annual capacity of approximately 7.4 million kilowatt hours and generate sufficient electricity to supply approximately 2,000 households. The plant will be the first solar power generator operated by TEPCO and is scheduled to start operation in fiscal year 2011.

Toshiba was selected as prime contractor for development of the plant, and will be responsible for all engineering work prior to the start of construction, procurement of major equipment and components, and plant construction. The variable output of the photovoltaic cells will be converted to clean AC by integrated power conditioners developed by Toshiba Group. Their conversion efficiency of 97.5% places them in the world's highest class of power conditioners.⁽¹⁾ The plant will also be equipped with solar panels from Sharp Corporation (TOKYO: 6753) that feature  polycrystalline photovoltaic modules.

Driven by a growing awareness of the need to counteract global warming, the global solar photovoltaic systems market for utilities and industrial plants is expected to reach 2.2 trillion yen in fiscal year 2015. In this market environment, Toshiba made its full-scale entry into the solar photovoltaic systems business on January 1, 2009, when its Transmission Distribution & Industrial Systems Company established the Photovoltaic Systems Division as one its measures to accelerate expansion of the photovoltaic system business. This in-house company is charged with drawing on its extensive experience in system integration, particularly in system technology for high efficiency photovoltaic inverters and microgrids and in deploying large plant system engineering capabilities, to promote the growth of the photovoltaic systems business.

Toshiba Group will aim to secure further contracts for multi-MW PV projects and to achieve a rapid expansion of the business, both in Japan and overseas, by focusing on renewable energy and energy-saving products and technologies.

⁽¹⁾ As of November, 2009, for the 250kW output power conditioner.

Outline of Ukishima Solar Power Plant Facility (provisional name)

- Location: Ukishima-cho, Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture.
- Photovoltaic power output: Approx. 7MW
- Estimated power generation: Approx. 7.4 million kWh
- Estimated equivalent reduction in CO₂ emissions: Approx. 3,100 tons
- Building area: approximately 11 hectares (owned by Kawasaki-city)
- Solar panel installation area: Approximately 10 hectares