First Nations considering solar power and other renewables ... see what is happening in Japan
Kyocera completes Japan's largest offshore solar energy plant in Kagoshima
Nov 06, 2013 John Hofilena
As if to highlight the recent anti-nuclear sentiments - politicians who will no longer have anything to do with nuclear energy - Japanese tech giants Kyocera opened on Monday what is currently the biggest solar power facility in Japan. The Kagoshima Nanatsujima Mega Solar Plant is 1.27 million square meters of solar panels - 290,000 of them, to be exact - which will be able to generate 70 megawatts of power, able to supply electricity for about 22,000 local households, making it the biggest solar generation plant in Japan.
Kagoshima City, in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima, is one of the few areas in Japan where the sky is clear around 40 days and is perfect for solar energy collection and generation. At the opening of the plant on Monday afternoon, Nobuo Kitamura, the president of plant operator Kagoshima Mega Solar Power Corporation, gave due honor to the location. "We would like to contribute to new development and improvement for human societies through a new type of energy production from Kagoshima, the place where many courageous samurai challenged the ancient political and social regime in the 1860s to reform the country," Kitamura said. The city government is pleased with this new development, and was quick to say that there are other such resources in the city. "In addition to solar, Kagoshima City and surrounding areas, with their major volcanos and islands, have many possible energy resources, such as geothermal power, wind power and tidal current power. We must promote their use as tools to revitalize the country and local economy," a city official said.
The Fukushima nuclear disaster has placed a glaring spotlight on the dangers of atomic energy, and many are beginning to see the sense of going zero nuclear. Most of Japan's nuclear reactors are mothballed right now due to the arguments regarding local safety. This new solar energy plant can be counted as one of Japan's possible resources in attempting to replace nuclear energy with renewable sources.
Previous Coverage
- Toshiba to enter Japan's wind power generation industry
- Kyocera to back $89M project to provide solar energy for Japan's farmers
- Habitat for Humanity Japan gives solar power panels to tsunami-affected families
- Goldman Sachs to invest $487 million in Japan's renewable energy market
- Japan to surpass Germany, US as 2nd largest solar power market in 2013