JX Nippon Oil and Energy Corporation (JX Energy) scheduled to build three solar power plants with combined capacity of 17MW

Japanese refinery and energy giant JX Nippon Oil and Energy Corporation (JX Energy) is scheduled to build three solar power plants with a combined capacity of 17MW in the Akita, Fukushima and Okinawa regions of Japan.

The Fukushima and Akita power stations will be 1MW and 4MW respectively. Both are in the north of Japan. Okinawa, where the third 12MW station will be constructed, is the southernmost prefecture of Japan, a series of islands several hundred miles south of the mainland. The Okinawa plant is expected to become operational in March 2015, while the Fukushima and Akita prefecture power stations will be constructed and running by August 2014.

The new projects will increase JX Energy’s solar power portfolio by more than four times its current capacity.

Around ¥5 billion (US$52 million) has been invested in the three sites. The projects will be located on disused JX Energy oil and gas refinery land.

JX Energy already has 5MW further capacity of solar generation either in place or in the company’s project pipeline. There are mega solar plants in Yamaguchi and Miyagi prefectures and another in Ibaraki prefecture under construction. The 17MW of new PV plants will bring JX Energy’s total solar power plant portfolio to 22MW capacity.