IBC SOLAR and Deneb Re connect their first Japanese mega-solar power plant to grid

Bad Staffelstein / Germany, Otawara / Japan, 6 October 2014 – IBC SOLAR AG, a global leader in photovoltaic systems, and local project developer Deneb Renewable Energy KK (Deneb Re) have finished the construction of a 1.6 MW photovoltaic (PV) plant in Otawara (Tochigi), Japan. On September 24th, the plant was officially connected to the Tokyo Electric Power Co., Ltd. (TEPCO) power grid. The project combines German expertise in large-scale plants and local knowledge in project development. This enabled the contract partners to finish the plant in time and meet the budget.

The handing-over of the turnkey installation to a Tokyo-based real-estate company that has invested in the project, took place on September 26th – two days after grid-connection. The project has fulfilled all legal requirements to assure the investor a feed-in tariff of 36 YEN per kilowatt hour plus consumption tax. As of the date of grid connection, the owner of the PV plant is entitled to this tariff paid by the grid operator for the generated electricity over a period of 20 years. This makes the project particularly attractive for the investor.

The large-scale solar plant consists of 6408 IBC PolySol 255 modules and will produce approximately 2.1 million kilowatt hours of energy per year. “Connecting this impressive PV plant to the electricity grid is a milestone in IBC SOLAR’s history and a meaningful contribution to the change of energy policy in Japan, leading away from nuclear power towards renewable energy,” said Antoni Beltran, Director Project Business Development at IBC SOLAR. The solar park is located approximately 150 kilometres North of Tokyo. Aiming for a renewable energy production, the Otawara mega-solar power plant was highly supported by the Tochigi Prefectural Government and its department for global warming countermeasures.

“We are delighted to have worked with IBC SOLAR on the realization of this solar project. By combining their solar experience with the use of local companies to construct the plant, we were able to jump down the cost curve and build a highly efficient PV plant. We have been actively engaged with neighbours and the local community to ensure acceptance of this PV plant and its smooth operation for at least the next 20 years,” said Dr. Steffen David, Representative Director of Deneb Re.

Otawara is the first grid-connected PV project of IBC SOLAR in Japan. Thanks to the company’s global experience of over 30 years, the investor can rely on the highest German quality and performance standards as well as a linear module performance guarantee of 25 years. The PV plant in Otawara is one of three projects that IBC SOLAR realises in Japan, working with local project developers and construction partners. IBC SOLAR’s second Japanese solar plant in Sakura City, Tochigi, will be connected to the grid within the next weeks.

Underline to picture: Akio Tokoro, President of TTK; Dr. Steffen David, Representative Director of Deneb RE; Yamada Daisuke, Representative Director of KK Square; Nagio Satou, MUFG; David G. Litt, Representative Director of Deneb RE

About Deneb Re
Deneb Renewable Energy KK (Deneb Re) is developing and implementing solar PV power projects in Japan. The company focuses on larger projects that will provide power to utility purchasers. Deneb Re offers a full spectrum of solar project support services including sourcing, implementation and financing support in Japan. In 2013, Deneb Re developed a first group of projects spread across Japan and successfully placed them with investors.  In 2014, Deneb Re is working on a significantly larger group of projects that have included a number of cutting edge solar installations such as the largest floating solar installation to date world-wide.. Investors in projects developed by Deneb Re have included the affiliates of three major Japanese listed companies.  

Media contact:
Deneb Renewable Energy KK
Tel: (03) 6438-9185
info(at)denebre.com