News Releases

Toshiba Awarded Major Order for Mega Solar Power Generation System By Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.

27 Sep, 2010

TOKYO—Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that it has won a major contract to develop a mega solar photovoltaic power generation system for Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (TOKYO: 9506), under which Toshiba's systems will be installed in the Hachinohe Solar Power Station in Hachinohe, Aomori prefecture. Once completed, the project will have a generating capacity of approximately 1.5MW.

The order is the fourth that Toshiba has secured for a multi-MW solar photovoltaic project and follows awards for equipment from Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. for a multi-MW solar project at Taketoyo Thermal Power Station; from Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc. for the Ukishima Solar Power Plant (provisional name); and from The Okinawa Electric Power Company, Incorporated for the verification process of a microgrid system on Miyako Island.

The Hachinohe Solar Power Station is located in Hachinohe Thermal Power Station Site in Hachinohe, Aomori prefecture. The first industrial-use solar photovoltaic power plant operated by Tohoku Electric, it is scheduled to come on line in 2011. The plant will have an annual capacity of approximately 1.6 million kilowatt hours, sufficient to generate electricity for approximately 500 households.

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 98.1% places them in the world's highest class of 500kW power conditioners, and will be the first to be installed in a mega solar photovoltaic project.(1) The plant will also be equipped with highly efficient multi-crystal photovoltaic modules from Kyocera Corporation, thin-film photovoltaic modules (250kW) from Kaneka Corporation and CIS (Copper Indium Diselenide; CuInSe2) thin-film solar cell modules (250kW) from Solar Frontier K.K.

Driven by a growing awareness of the need to counteract global warming, the global market for solar photovoltaic systems for utilities and industrial plants is expected to reach 2.2 trillion yen in fiscal year 2015. In this environment, Toshiba 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 its 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 September, 2010, for 500kW output power conditioners.

Outline of Hachinohe Solar Power Station Facility

- Location: Hachinohe Thermal Power Station site, Hachinohe, Aomori prefecture
- Photovoltaic power output: Approx. 1.5MW
- Estimated power generation: Approx. 1.6 million kWh
- Estimated equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions: Approx. 800 tons
- Building area: approximately 3 hectares

Artist's Impression of the Photovoltaic Power Station in the Hachinohe Solar Power Station Facility

Image of Artist's Impression of the Photovoltaic Power Station in the Hachinohe Solar Power Station Facility