Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic module maker First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA has announced completion of the 1.3MWDC solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant at Kitakyushu-shi.
Powered by First Solar’s FS Series 3 Black PV modules, the plant will generate about 1400MWh of electricity per year. Power from the project will be purchased by Kyushu Electric Power Company.
“Japan has ambitious solar power development goals to help mitigate the dependency on nuclear energy,” says First Solar’s chief commercial officer Joe Kishkill. “Completion of the Kitakyushu-shi project supports that commitment along with providing electricity users with a fuel alternative that is safe, can be rapidly deployed, and has the smallest carbon footprint.”
Begun last November, the project had a workforce of about 65 construction jobs at its peak, building local capability to construct similar clean and safe solar power projects in the future.
First Solar holds 100% equity in the project. Obayashi Corp (based in Tokyo) and Yaskawa Electric Corp (based in Kitakyushu) constructed the project. Tokyo-based Nippon Sheet Glass Co Ltd (NSG Group) supplied the glass used in the PV modules.