News Releases

Toshiba Awarded Major Order for Mega Solar Power Generation Project By The Chugoku Electric Power Co.,Inc.

13 Oct, 2010

TOKYO—Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that it has won a major contract to develop mega solar photovoltaic power generation project for The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (TOKYO: 9504), under which Toshiba's systems are to be installed in the Fukuyama Solar Power Plant. When completed, the plant will have a generating capacity of approximately 3 MW.

The Fukuyama Solar Power Plant is located in Hiroshima prefecture and will be the first industrial-use solar photovoltaic power plant operated by Chugoku Electric Power. It is scheduled to come on line in fiscal year 2011, when the plant will have an annual capacity of approximately 3.34 million kWh, sufficient to generate electricity for approximately 900 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 500kW output power conditioners developed by Toshiba Group. A conversion efficiency of 98.1% assures that the power conditioners are the world most efficient in their class, and the industry's highest class for power conditioners installed in a mega solar photovoltaic project.[1] The plant will also be equipped with highly efficient multi-crystal photovoltaic modules from Choshu Industry Co., Ltd.

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 October, 2010, for 500kW output class power conditioners.

Outline of Fukuyama Solar Power Plant Facility

- Location: Minooki, Fukuyama city, Hiroshima prefecture.
- Photovoltaic power output: Approx. 3 MW
- Estimated power generation: Approx. 3.34 million kWh
- Estimated equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions: Approx. 2,000 tons a year
- Solar panel installation area: Approx. 4.5 hectares

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

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