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Idemitsu Kosan says it plans to start building a 2 MW agrivoltaics facility in Japan later this year, following the successful conclusion of a 45 kW pilot project. The company has developed a proprietary agrivoltaics system based on tracker technology. Idemitsu Kosan said in a press release this week that it plans to break ground on a 2 MW agrivoltaics project later this year in Japan. The Japanese oil refiner said that the planned installation in Kisarazu, Chiba prefecture, is part of its ongoing efforts to integrate renewable energy with agricultural facilities. It follows the company’s successful conclusion of a smaller, 45 kW pilot project that was launched in 2023. The new 2 MW project will feature bifacial PV modules and tracking technology to maximize energy production. The company will design the system to minimize its impact on agricultural activities by prioritizing sunlight for crops during their growing periods, while optimizing energy generation during the off-season, according to the online statement. Tokyo-based Idemitsu Kosan said its solution tackles a key challenge in Japan’s energy strategy: the shortage of land for large-solar projects. By using farmland, the company aims to offer additional income streams for farmers while contributing to the government’s target of increasing the share of renewable energy in the national power mix. Idemitsu Kosan – which recently acquired a stake in Australian graphite company Graphinex to expand its battery anode manufacturing business – said its planned agrivoltaics project in Chiba is aligned with Japan’s broader efforts to expand solar energy and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It said it expects the site to serve as a model for future agrivoltaic installations. This week, the New Energy Foundation (NEF) – a nonprofit organization based in Tokyo – formally recognized Idemitsu Kosan’s next-generation agrivoltaic system for its innovative approach to balancing energy production with agricultural activities. The Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP) and contractor Ryoeng built Japans first vertical agrivoltaics project in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima prefecture, with support from German companies Luxor Solar and Next2Sun in April 2022. In August 2024, Japan suspended feed-in tariffs and premiums for 342 agrivoltaic projects for violating new agricultural land regulations. The suspension followed stricter guidelines introduced in April 2024, which aim to prevent improper use of agricultural land for solar installations. |
