Orix may build two 110-MW biomass co-fired plants in Japan - report

Jul 7, 2014 - Japanese financial services conglomerate Orix Corp (TYO:8591) is considering building two power plants on coal and woody biomass, of 110-MW each, in the Japanese prefectures of Fukuoka and Fukushima, a spokesperson told Bloomberg on the phone on Thursday.

When asked about the size of the investment the company said it was too early to give a precise estimate. The question was prompted by a report by the Sankei newspaper that the plants will cost JPY 50 billion (USD 490m/EUR 361m).

The Tokyo-based firm is not new to the biomass business. It owns and operates Japan’s third-largest wood chip-fired thermal power station - the 13.6-MW Agatsuma Biomass Power Plant in the Gunma Prefecture.

Orix is also expanding in its other energy-related operations - energy saving service business (ESCO), electric power trading, solar and geothermal power generation.

In terms of solar power production, the Japanese company seeks to install 300 MW of capacity by the end of fiscal 2014/15 and to add 100 MW of rooftop PV capacity during the same period.

(JPY 1 = USD 0.010/EUR 0.007)

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