OREANDA-NEWS. March 09, 2011. Mitsubishi Corporation (MC: TSE/8058), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI:TSE/7011) and Hitachi Ltd. (Hitachi: TSE/6501, NYSE/HIT) today announced that they have been jointly selected by The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) as participants in a Smart Community*System Demonstration Project (Project) in the area surrounding Malaga-city, Andalucia, in southern Spain.

Comprising a feasibility study to be conducted until July 29, 2011, and a subsequent demonstration phase that will carry through to the end of March, 2016, the Project was made possible by deregulations in Spain's electric power market and advantages they present in implementing large amounts of renewable energy. It will be enhanced by leveraging state-of-the-art Japanese technologies in renewable energy, energy conservation, and smart communities. NEDO, MC, MHI and Hitachi hope the Project will give rise to other opportunities for Japanese companies to develop smart community businesses around the world.

The feasibility study will be conducted in two phases : the first to verify the amount of CO2 emissions produced by major public services in Malaga City; and the second to determine how best to reduce these.
The demonstration phase will focus on the transportation and electric power sectors. Infrastructure will be installed to facilitate greater use of electric vehicles (EVs), including EV chargers, an EV center, and the vehicles themselves. A smart grid will be set up to ensure electricity is supplied smoothly and safely to the vehicles, as well as integrated ICT platforms to connect the new infrastructure to the city's existing power systems.
The details of scope of the demonstration operations will be defined by NEDO, upon consultation with specialists following the feasibility study phase.

This Project will be conducted under the Japan Spain Innovation Programme (JSIP**). MC will offer its global business expertise, while MHI will contribute its Technology Integration/Intelligent Transport System. Hitachi's involvement will be through incorporation of their energy management and ICT systems. Cooperating on the Project will be Endesa S.A. and Telefonica, Spain's biggest electric power and ICT companies respectively.