[Kamei New Business News #4] Commencement of the Social Issue Solving Business "Hyakunen Solar Tohoku Project"

Kamei Corporation (Headquarters: Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, President: Akio Kamei, hereinafter referred to as "Kamei"), Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President: Hiroshi Kubota, hereinafter referred to as "Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking"), and the 77 Strategic Investment No. 2 Investment Limited Partnership (hereinafter referred to as "77 Capital"), operated by Shichito Capital Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, President: Akira Konno), and Hiraso Energy Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Min Li, hereinafter referred to as "Hiraso Energy") have entered into a silent partnership agreement with "Hyakunen Solar Tohoku LLC" (hereinafter referred to as "Hyakunen Solar Tohoku") to solve the issues of waste and abandonment surrounding solar power plants in the Tohoku area and to promote decarbonization through long-term stable operation. Hyakunen Solar Tohoku has also entered into a project finance agreement with The Bank of Kita-Nihon (Head Office: Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, President: Kyoro Ishizuka, hereinafter referred to as "The Bank of Kita-Nihon").

1. Background and Objectives of the Business

The "Hyakunen Solar Tohoku Project" is a social issue-solving business that acquires and consolidates small and medium-sized solar power plants scattered throughout the Tohoku region, aiming for long-term stable operation beyond the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) period.

Many solar power plants in Japan rapidly proliferated after the start of the FIT system in 2012, and there are concerns about the abandonment of these plants after their 20-year FIT period expires. In particular, small and medium-sized solar power plants (under 1MW generation capacity), which account for about 90% of domestic solar power plants, are expected to see an increase in facilities that are not adequately maintained or repaired due to the aging of owners and rising maintenance costs. Furthermore, in the Tohoku region, challenges such as reduced power generation due to snow, damage to panels and mounting structures, and increased output curtailment require even more appropriate monitoring and repairs.

To address these issues, "Hyakunen Solar Tohoku" has been newly established to acquire and consolidate small and medium-sized solar power plants in the Tohoku region, aiming for long-term stable operation utilizing Hiraso Energy's strengths in "repowering technology" and "digital technology." Kamei, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking, 77 Capital, and Hiraso Energy will each enter into a silent partnership agreement. Furthermore, through project finance from the local financial institution, The Bank of Kita-Nihon, we will establish a financial foundation to support long-term stable operation, even after the FIT period ends, and promote this as a social issue-solving project in the Tohoku region in collaboration with regional finance.

【Scheme Diagram】

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