Japanese renewables developer Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions secured an EPC contract for the Onikoube Solar Power Plant in 2021. Onikoube is a 154.98 MW (initially 147 MW) ground-mounted solar PV facility to be built in Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan. The plant will occupy a 156-hectare site that was formerly a golf course. It will also feature around 362,960 solar panels mounted on a terrain that the design accommodates snow loads and slope conditions. Construction is tied to a Japanese investment of approximately ¥35.5 billion. Initial target date for start of operations was December 2022. This has however changed as the project is still in development and expects to start commercial operation soon. Toshiba is also developing Japan’s largest renewable battery energy storage project in Kyushu alongside Osaka Gas and Sonnedix.
Project Factsheet
Location: Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
EPC Contractor: Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
Owner: PurpleSol G.K.
Project Type: Utility-scale ground-mounted solar PV
Capacity: 147 MW (DC); output approx. 150 GWh per year
Technology: Crystalline silicon PV modules
Site Area: 156 hectares
Investment Cost: ¥35.5 billion (USD 240 million)
Construction Start: 2020
Planned COD: Initially December 2022; delayed commissioning expected 2025
Grid Connection: Tohoku Electric Power Co.
Key Contractors: Toshiba ESS (EPC and O&M)
Status: Pre-commissioning phase
Toshiba Signs Onikoube Solar Power Plant Construction Agreement in Japan
Reported August 14, 2021 – Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba ESS) has announced in Kawasaki, Japan that it received an EPC services order for construction of the Onikoube Solar Power Plant, in the city of Osaki in Miyagi Prefecture, North East of Japan. The plant is being planned by project owner PurpleSol G.K. PurpleSol is an affiliate of Thai Solar Energy Public Company Limited – a leading renewable energy company in Thailand.
This large-scale solar power plant is expected to have a capacity of 147 MW. Onikoube Solar Power Plant is also one of the largest EPC order received by Toshiba ESS. The plant is scheduled to go into operation by December 2022.
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A Look at Onikoube Solar Power Plant
The Onikoube Solar Power Plant has been planned to be built on a 156-hectare site of a abandoned golf course. The construction plan contains several special construction expertise. These include having the frames placed closer together instead of in the conventional plant designs. The solar panels will also be installed at a steeper angle. This makes it possible to install 362,960 solar panels in the area. The solar project will also achieve high-efficiency power generation with design and construction that accommodates the slope of the ground and the regular snowfall in the area.
TSE has been operating renewable energies and focusing on the development and investment of utility-scale PV plants in Thailand for several years. It started its business in Japan in 2014, and expanded into bigger scale projects afterwards.
This initiative will also allow energy and specialization companies to collaborate on the project. Going forward, the company hopes to continue constructing more industrial-use solar power plants and engaging in many different types of sustainable clean energy projects as they help create societies that generate sustainable innovation.
