Toshiba Corp. has been granted the contract to develop a solar power generation project for Tokyo Electric Power Co. Inc
The contract calls for Toshiba’s systems to be installed in a Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture plant that will generate about 7MW capacity. This is the second win that Toshiba has secured for a multi-MW photovoltaic (PV) project. The first was for a 7.5MW capacity multi-MW PV project at Taketoyo Thermal Power Station in Taketoyo, Aichi prefecture as announced in August 2009.
Provisionally called the Ukishima Solar Power Plant, the facility is located in the Waterfront District in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture. The annual capacity of plant will be about 74.00 lakh kilowatt hours, enough electricity to supply approximately 2,000 households. The plant will be the first solar power generator operated by TEPCO and is scheduled to start operation in fiscal year 2011.
Toshiba was selected as prime contractor for development of the plant, and will be responsible for all engineering work prior to the start of construction, procurement of major equipment and components, and plant construction. The variable output of the PV cells will be converted to clean AC by integrated power conditioners developed by Toshiba Group. Their conversion efficiency of 97.5 per cent places them in the world’s highest class of power conditioners. The plant will also be equipped with solar panels from Sharp Corp. that feature polycrystalline PV modules.
Driven by a growing awareness of the need to counteract global warming, the global solar PV systems market for utilities and industrial plants is expected to reach $24.67 million (Rs.115.31 crore) in fiscal year 2015. In this market environment, Toshiba made its full-scale entry into the solar PV systems business on January 1, when its Transmission Distribution & Industrial Systems Company established the PV Systems Division as one its measures to accelerate expansion of the PV system business. This in-house company is charged with drawing on its extensive experience in system integration, particularly in system technology for high efficiency PV inverters and microgrids and in deploying large plant system engineering capabilities, to promote the growth of the PV systems business.
Toshiba Group will aim to secure further contracts for multi-MW PV projects and to achieve a rapid expansion of the business, both in Japan and overseas, by focusing on renewable energy and energy-saving products and technologies.