On December 30, 2024, Chofu Bio Power LLC commissioned the 74.95MW Chofu Biomass Power Plant in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, the JAPEX-led joint venture announced on January 6, 2025.
According to the statement, the wood pellet-fired power plant is expected to generate approximately 520GWh per year, with all of the generated power being sold to Chugoku Electric Power Transmission & Distribution, the area’s grid operator, through a 20-year, 21 yen per kWh feed-in-tariff (FIT) contract. JAPEX’s wholly-owned subsidiary JAPEX Green Energy will be responsible for the power plant’s asset management.
Construction of the project, handled by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, started in July 2022.
JAPEX acquired a 39.9% stake in the project, which was initially developed by MOT Research Institute, in 2020. By the time of commissioning, MOT has reduced its ownership to 15.1%. Tokyo Energy & Systems owns 20%, Chofu Seisakusho 15%, and Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha 10%.
Separately from Chofu Biomass Power Plant, JAPEX also owns 33.8% of the 9.9MW Abashiri Biomass Power Plant Units 2 and 3 in Abashiri City, Hokkaido.
