Toshiba Plans Solar Operations Abroad
Solar manufacturing has been gaining momentum in the past few years as the importance of clean energy and low omissions continues to grab global attention. The European and Japanese markets have been major advocates in the campaign towards making solar energy a standard part of life.
According to Reuters, Japan’s global giant Toshiba Corporation said it plans to launch major solar power projects throughout Europe and the United States within the next few years. The campaign will be initiated with the construction of a 10 megawatt Bulgarian facility scheduled to come on line by the next financial year. The firm aims at earning ¥150bn ($1.8bn) in overseas sales from solar power operations in 2016.
The plant in Bulgaria is expected to cost around ¥4bn to construct and will have the capacity to power approximately 2,000 households. Instead of owning the plant, however, Toshiba intends to sell it to local financial funds and investors. Toshiba also plans on building eight large solar power plants throughout Europe in 2015 and may consider local acquisitions to firms with construction knowledge. This move by Toshiba will open the door for European companies interested in the future of solar technology as well as long-term revenue possibilities with the well established firm.
Japan’s Kyocera Corporation, another large player in energy (with over 30 years experience in solar manufacturing), has a substantial presence in Europe as well. It opened its first European solar production plant in the Czech Republic in 2005 and since then has been very active in the European market. Photovoltaics (or PV), which converts solar light photons into electricity, is a primary method used by both Kyocera and Toshiba. In 2003, Europe was the world’s second largest manufacturer of photovoltaics with 24% of the market share, only trailing behind Japan who had around 44%. Since then, however, Europe has rapidly become one of the worlds leaders in PV technologies.
In a study done by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) in 2008, Germany and Spain led the world in cumulative PV capacities with Japan coming in third place. The EPIA is the world’s largest industry association dedicated to solar PV and aims at promoting the technology to both European and export markets.
Just a few good reasons for switching to PV electricity are its low costs, low emissions, energy security benefits, overall reliability, and its ability to create thousands of jobs in Europe, according to the EPIA website.
In a report by the International Energy Agency, solar power is expected to provide nearly a quarter of the world’s power supplies by the year 2050.
3 September 2010 - Blog Update:
In a related story, Japan’s JGC Corporation (an engineering group formerly known as Japan Gasoline) is teaming up with Spain’s environmental engineering company Abengoa Solar to operate two solar thermal plants by 2012. This joint venture will make JGC Corporation the first Japanese company in the solar thermal power business. Solar thermal energy works by concentrating sunlight to create heat which operates generators that make electricity.
This first of it’s kind project is expected to power over 50,000 homes, sell €65m of electricity per year, and ensure that both parties hold positions as global players in the solar energy game. In addition to these types of plants having low start-up costs, the facilities will receive premium rates on power sold as part of a Spanish program to promote renewable energy.
Since JGC Corporation’s inception in 1928, it has focused mainly on oil and gas. This recent endeavor, however, marks a milestone of continued expansion into power generation, desalination, and biofuel. Spain’s Abengoa Solar has also been busy in the solar power industry as they recently closed a deal to build one of the world’s largest solar thermal plants in Abu Dhabi.
Related Links:
Record rise in UK home solar panels (BBC)
EPIA website
Europe ahead of US in solar panels (article)
Kyocera solar division Europe
10 good reasons to switch to solar