KYOCERA Establishes New Company to Operate 70MW Solar Power Plant in Japan

MarketWatch

KYOTO, Japan, Jul 31, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Kyocera Corporation KYO -1.49% (tokyo:6971), along with six other companies, today announced the completion of capital investment procedures for the establishment of Kagoshima Mega Solar Power Corporation, a new company which will be tasked with operating a 70 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in southern Japan. The utility-scale solar power plant will become the largest in Japan*1.

The new company will develop and operate the previously announced 70MW solar power plant in Kagoshima City (Kagoshima Prefecture) on land owned by IHI Corporation — with the power generated to be purchased by Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. under the guidelines of the new feed-in tariff (FIT) program which was implemented on July 1 in Japan. The total project cost is estimated at approximately 27 billion yen (approx. 345 million US dollars*2), with seven investment companies involved (including Kyocera), and Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. set to devise a financing plan for the project. Construction is set to commence in September of this year, with plans for completion by fall of 2013.