Strengthening of Partnership for the Onshore Wind Power Business in Kochi Prefecture- Output to reach a capacity of 193,000kW, one of the largest in Japan -

Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (Head Office: Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa prefecture; Director and President: Keisuke Nagai; hereinafter “Shikoku Electric Power”) has recently joined the Imanoyama Wind Power Generation Business (hereafter the “Business”), which is being jointly developed by Sumitomo Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer: Masayuki Hyodo), Japan Wind Engineering Co., Ltd (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Hidehiro Nakawatase; hereinafter “JWE”), and Hokutaku Co., LTD (Head Office: Asahikawa-shi, Hokkaido, Representative Director: Yukari Yoshida; hereinafter “Hokutaku”) in Kochi prefecture.

In recent years, the adoption of renewable energy generation as a way to address climate change has accelerated globally. This year, the Japanese government announced its plan to increase the share pertaining to renewable energy in the draft of the 6th Strategic Energy Plan. Expectations are rising for renewable energy as a main power source to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The Business entails development and operation of an onshore wind farm with an output capacity of 193,000 kW that will be built and operated on the ridge of Mt. Imanoyama, extending across Tosashimizu City and Mihara Village, Hata District in Kochi Prefecture. This will be one of the largest onshore wind farms in Japan.

Shikoku Electric Power has recently joined as a partner in this joint development. Shikoku Electric Power supplies power to the region and possesses reliable technical strengths in the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of power plants. Going forward, Sumitomo Corporation and JWE, which have been demonstrating their strengths and results in the development of the wind power business; Shikoku Electric Power, which undertakes the overall basic infrastructure; and Hokutaku, which has been managing the maintenance of a number of wind farms in Japan, will come together to achieve the next-generation energy business that is rooted in the region.

The Sumitomo Corporation Group has set a medium-term goal to increase the supply of renewable energy to 3 million kilowatts or more by 2030 by developing and deploying carbon-free energy. The Group will contribute toward creating a sustainable society by putting all its efforts into the Business.

The Shikoku Electric Power Group has set a goal of “developing 500,000 kilowatts worth of renewable power sources by FY2030” as part of its efforts toward low-carbonization / decarbonization of power sources, and it has developed 170,000 kilowatts worth of renewable power sources since 2000.
By leveraging its experience, the Shikoku Electric Power Group will engage in the Business as a local power company and contribute to the development of renewable power sources in the Shikoku region.

JWE has been pursuing business at the Business location from the start, and is a pioneer in the wind power generation business, taking on this project as well as other wind power development projects in various locations. As JWE has been operating the wind farm business, its emphasis is on building relationships of trust with people in the community, and it strives to contribute to the community by drawing on the characteristics and significance of a wind farm.

As a company that specializes in the maintenance of wind power equipment, Hokutaku has a proven track record in maintenance and operation. Hokutaku also has its own training centers at three locations in Japan. In terms of the Business, Hokutaku will contribute to operation of the wind farm by utilizing its knowledge and experience gained over the years, complying with independent security measures from the standpoint of a business operator, and placing the utmost priority on safety.

■ Location

■ Business Overview

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■ Overview of the Companies