hep’s successful international solar project development continues. Further important milestones have been reached in both Japan and the United States.
hep Begins Construction on Major Project in Japan // Five U.S. Solar Projects Nearing Grid Connection
Japanese solar project is about to enter the construction phase
In October 2021, the Forestry Committee approved the implementation of a 13-megawatt peak (MWp) solar project in Chiba Prefecture. Site preparation is scheduled to begin later this year. Grid connection is expected to take place in the second quarter of 2023.
With this, now the eleventh park built by hep itself in Japan, the total installed capacity there will increase from 27 MWp to 40 MWp. hep has been active in the Land of the Rising Sun since 2013 and operates two company locations in Kobe and Tokyo.
Five U.S. projects are nearing grid connection
In addition, construction on the U.S. projects continues to progress. The first solar park was mechanically completed in July 2021. Four additional solar parks followed in August 2021. A testing phase will take place prior to commercial operation to fully connect the solar parks to the grid.
Extensive portfolio of hep projects currently under construction in the United States
The portfolio of seven community solar projects was acquired by hep in late 2020 at an early stage of development and developed in collaboration with project development partner Solops. All seven projects are now under construction. Three of them are scheduled for completion by the end of 2021. Completion of the remaining four solar parks is scheduled for early 2022. With approximately 21 MWp, this is the largest portfolio to date for which hep is handling project development and construction from a single source using its holistic approach.
The construction and subsequent operation of the seven projects will be carried out by hep Petra, a solar company in which hep has held a majority stake since July 2020.