KYOCERA to supply 3MW of solar modules for Utility Co.'s solar power plants in NE Japan

KYOTO, JAPAN: Kyocera Corp. announced that it is supplying a total of 3-megawatts (MW) of the company's multicrystalline silicon solar modules for two of Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.'s new solar power plants (2MW in Miyagi Pref.; 1MW in Aomori Pref.). Construction of the two facilities will start this month and are planned to be completed in January 2012.

The 2MW Sendai Solar Power Plant in Shichigahama, Miyagi Prefecture is expected to produce enough power for roughly 600 homes by generating 2,100MWh of electricity, off-setting about 1,000 tons of CO2 emissions each year; while the 1.5MW Hachinohe Solar Power Plant in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture (of which Kyocera is supplying 1MW) should supply power for roughly 500 homes with 1,600MWh, off-setting about 800 tons of CO2 emissions each year.

Presently, power companies across Japan have planned to build roughly 30 large-scale solar power plants with a total of 140MW of power output by 2020. Including Tohoku Electric Power Co. Inc., Kyocera has already agreed to supply its solar modules for plants to be constructed by seven power companies in Japan.

Outside of its own domestic market, Kyocera has notably shipped more than 50MW of modules for three large-scale power plants in Spain, and agreed to supply modules for a 204MW project in Thailand. Furthermore, data collected from three of these plants in Spain (Dulcinea: 28.8MW; Salamanca: 13.8MW) and Thailand (Korat: 6MW) show that the company's modules are exceeding the installers' own original power output estimates -- demonstrating the performance and reliability of Kyocera's products.

Kyocera first started R&D into solar energy technology in 1975, and from that point on has continually pursued the enhancement of quality and technology. Kyocera hopes to apply its many years of experience and know-how in the solar industry to supply high-performance modules that can help to contribute to the prevention of global warming.