OREANDA-NEWS. October 21, 2011. Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced its participation in a consortium that proposes to construct and operate Japan's largest mega solar photovoltaic plant. The seven-company consortium, headed by Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TOKYO: 4183), will carry out a feasibility study for a combined solar and wind power plant in Tahara, Aichi prefecture, towards starting construction in 2012. Toshiba will take responsibility for engineering, procurement and construction of the solar photovoltaic plant.

The "Tahara solar photovoltaic and wind power generation joint project" proposes to construct a 50MW photovoltaic power plant and a 6MW wind power plant on a coastal site in Tahara, Aichi prefecture, in central Honshu, owned by Mitsui Chemicals. The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately 18 billion yen and construction is scheduled to start in June 2012, subject to the results of a feasibility study.

Toshiba has won orders for eight major mega solar projects in Japan. At this point, Toshiba will draw on this experience to undertake the basic design, overall engineering, supply of major equipment and construction for Takahara.

Expertise Toshiba will bring to the project will range from measures to protect the site from natural disasters; including soil liquefaction caused earthquakes, to provision of advanced equipment. This will include Toshiba's 500kW power conditioner, which achieves a 97.7% conversion efficiency*1, the highest in the industry.

In carrying out the project, the consortium members will share know-how and information, toward developing optimum solutions and to promote wider application of renewable energy sources.

With the gathering momentum of efforts to mitigate climate change, the global solar energy market for utility and industrial use is expected to reach 2,200 billion yen by 2015. Toshiba will support this trend by contributing to mega solar power generation projects in Japan and overseas.