Tomakomai Port Development, JAPEX, and Development Bank of Japan partnered to build a 13MWAC solar power plant in Tomakomai City, Hokkaido, the companies announced on September 16, 2025.
According to the statement, the power plant will be located on a 192,002m2 site in Tomakomai Port Development’s Akenokita Industrial Park. Construction is expected to begin within September 2025, with commissioning targeted for August 2028.
Once operational, the asset will be aggregated by JAPEX. The non-fossil certificates derived from its output will be sold to Shimizu Steel under a virtual PPA. They are expected to offset approximately 30% of Tomakomai Steel Works’ power consumption-related CO2 emissions.
OCCTO data shows the project secured a feed-in-premium (FIP) strike price of 7.36 yen per kWh in Japan’s most recent solar auction.
It is owned by Tomakomai TJD Solar, of which the port development company owns a 33.4% economic interest through a tokumei kumiai (silent partnership) structure. JAPEX and the bank hold 33.3% each.
JAPEX, primarily an oil and gas explorer and producer, began diversifying into power in recent years. It owns stakes in a 1.18GW LNG-fired plant in Fukushima and multiple biomass projects, such as the 50MW Tahara in Aichi Prefecture and the 75MW Chofu in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The company also partnered with Iino Kaiun to develop 30MW of solar and commissioned its first grid-scale battery storage project in August 2025.
The deal with Shimizu Steel is JAPEX’s first time participating in a virtual PPA scheme as an aggregator.
