Japan Renewable Energy Corporation (JRE) has found a partner in SMFL Mirai Partners Co., Ltd. to co-develop around 200 MW of large scale solar power project capacity in Japan. SMFL Mirai is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Leasing Co., Ltd. (SMFL). Both the companies signed a joint investment project agreement to develop this capacity in the form of three projects in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures.
JRE will develop the projects while JRE Operations Corporation will undertake operational responsibilities.
One of the three projects that are part of this agreement is identified as 79.95 MW JRE Yamato Takamori Solar Power Plant in Yamato-cho, Kamimashiki-gun, Kumamoto with a commercial operation timeline of August 2022.
The 62.52 MW JRE Aso Takamori Solar Power Plant is targeted to be commissioned by August 2022 as well in Takamori-cho, Aso-gun, Kumamoto. The third project JRE Satsuma Solar Power Plant with 54 MW capacity will be located in Satsuma-cho, Satsuma-gun, Kagoshima region and is planned to come online in January 2023. Operating companies for these projects will all be owned by JRE Group.
All three facilities started construction phase between August 2019 and October 2019. Together these are likely to produce 235.7 million kWh of clean power. JRE said by participating in these projects, SMFL Mirai Partners will further build its knowledge and know-how in the power generation business.
In an announcement, JRE said, "JRE, JRE Operations, SMFL, and SMFL MIRAI Partners will contribute to the promotion of countermeasures against global warming as a global issue by leveraging their respective knowledge and management resources in the development and operation of renewable energy businesses, while focusing on the stable supply of clean energy."