Japan plugged in 18.8 GW of green plants since FiT launch

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said Wednesday the country has put into operation 18,757 MW of renewable energy capacity since it launched a green feed-in-tariff (FiT) programme three years ago.

The incentive scheme, which turned the Japanese green energy market into a very attractive destination for investors, was established in an effort to promote the use of renewable energy sources after the devastating earthquake and the subsequent Fukushima accident and nuclear crisis. The figure takes into consideration all green plants commissioned from July 2012 to end-March 2015.

At present, the top renewable energy source in the country is solar power. Photovoltaic (PV) plants accounted for 18,108 MW of the total additions during the period under review.

Since the summer of 2012, METI has approved an aggregate 87,680 MW of renewable projects, 94% of which were solar farms. It also gave the green light to 2,290 MW of wind parks and 2,030 MW of biomass facilities.

Under METI’s final energy plan unveiled this month, renewables will account for 22% to 24% of the country’s power mix through fiscal 2030. If the target is met, Japan’s installed PV capacity will hit 64 GW.

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