Kyocera announced that Kyocera TCL Solar has started construction of 13.7 MW floating solar power plant on the Yamakura Dam reservoir.
Hailed as the world’s largest such project in terms of output, Yamakura Dam solar plant is managed by the Public Enterprises Agency of Chiba Prefecture in Japan for industrial water services.
Scheduled for launch in FY2018, the plant will be comprised of approximately 51,000 Kyocera modules installed over a fresh water surface area of 180,000m2. The project will generate an estimated 16,170 megawatt hours (MWh) per year.
The project was initiated in October 2014, when the Public Enterprises Agency of Chiba Prefecture publicly sought companies to construct and operate a floating solar power plant to help reduce environmental impact.
The rapid implementation of solar power in Japan has allowed companies like Kyocera to develop floating solar power plants in the country.
The floating solar plants utilize Japan’s abundant water surfaces of reservoirs for agricultural and flood-control purposes. The company began operation of 1.7MW and 1.2MW plants in March 2015 followed by the launch of a 2.3MW plant in June.
Kyocera Communication Systems is responsible for the construction and Kyocera Solar Corporation is undertaking O&M of these projects.
Rajani Baburajan