Sun Trinity to Supply Solar Power to Hankyu Railway via Off-site Physical Corporate PPA from 400 Sites
Sun Trinity, a JV between Sumitomo Corporation and Shikoku Electric, has signed a Physical Corporate PPA with Hankyu Railway and Kansai Electric. The project will develop 400 solar sites on abandoned farmland to support Hankyu's full carbon-neutral operation starting April 2025.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 23:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 14:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 01:03 (10h 31m after Collected)
Sun Trinity LLC, invested in by Sumitomo Corporation and Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc., has concluded an off-site physical corporate PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) with Hankyu Corporation as the end-user and Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. as the retail electricity provider. Sun Trinity will serve as the power generator for this project.
In this project, Sun Trinity will newly develop approximately 400 solar power generation facilities (approx. 40MWdc / 20MWac) that do not utilize the FIP (Feed-in Premium) system on project sites—primarily abandoned farmland—within the Kansai Electric Power service area. This will provide renewable energy with 'additionality.' The renewable energy supplied by Sun Trinity will be used for Hankyu Railway's 'Carbon Neutral Operation,' with an expected CO2 emission reduction effect of approximately 14,800 tons per year.
Hankyu Railway has been promoting 'Carbon Neutral Operation' since August 2024 by switching the railway power used for its entire line (approx. 143.6 km) and station facilities to effectively renewable-derived electricity using Kansai Electric's 'Renewable Energy ECO Plan.'
Starting April 2025, Hankyu will become the first railway company in the Kansai region to replace all electricity used in its railway business with effectively renewable-derived electricity, achieving virtually zero CO2 emissions.
With the recent rise in demand for renewable energy, a supply shortage of non-fossil certificates (which prove the renewable origin of electricity) is expected. Therefore, the importance of securing additional renewable energy sources over the long term is increasing. This project enables the supply of 'raw' renewable energy over a long period through a physical corporate PPA scheme involving the development of new power sources.
Sun Trinity will develop and operate approximately 300 distributed power plants, focusing on low-voltage solar power facilities under 50kWac. As suitable locations for large-scale new solar power become limited in Japan, the development of low-voltage solar using abandoned farmland plays a crucial role in expanding renewable energy adoption.
The utilization of such distributed power sources is significant in terms of effective land use, suppression of transmission loss, and coexistence with local communities/regional revitalization, contributing to the realization of a sustainable energy society.
Roles of each company:
- Hankyu Corporation: End-user procuring renewable energy over the long term.
- Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.: Retail electricity provider responsible for supply.
- Sun Trinity LLC: Power generator responsible for development, ownership, and operation of solar plants.
Comment from Toshiki Kashihara, President of Sun Trinity LLC:
'We are very grateful to have realized this project with Hankyu Corporation and Kansai Electric Power. This project contributes to enhancing the sustainability of our customers' business activities while making effective use of abandoned farmland. In Japan, where land for renewable energy is limited, we will accelerate our efforts to expand this model to even more customers.'
In this project, Sun Trinity will newly develop approximately 400 solar power generation facilities (approx. 40MWdc / 20MWac) that do not utilize the FIP (Feed-in Premium) system on project sites—primarily abandoned farmland—within the Kansai Electric Power service area. This will provide renewable energy with 'additionality.' The renewable energy supplied by Sun Trinity will be used for Hankyu Railway's 'Carbon Neutral Operation,' with an expected CO2 emission reduction effect of approximately 14,800 tons per year.
Hankyu Railway has been promoting 'Carbon Neutral Operation' since August 2024 by switching the railway power used for its entire line (approx. 143.6 km) and station facilities to effectively renewable-derived electricity using Kansai Electric's 'Renewable Energy ECO Plan.'
Starting April 2025, Hankyu will become the first railway company in the Kansai region to replace all electricity used in its railway business with effectively renewable-derived electricity, achieving virtually zero CO2 emissions.
With the recent rise in demand for renewable energy, a supply shortage of non-fossil certificates (which prove the renewable origin of electricity) is expected. Therefore, the importance of securing additional renewable energy sources over the long term is increasing. This project enables the supply of 'raw' renewable energy over a long period through a physical corporate PPA scheme involving the development of new power sources.
Sun Trinity will develop and operate approximately 300 distributed power plants, focusing on low-voltage solar power facilities under 50kWac. As suitable locations for large-scale new solar power become limited in Japan, the development of low-voltage solar using abandoned farmland plays a crucial role in expanding renewable energy adoption.
The utilization of such distributed power sources is significant in terms of effective land use, suppression of transmission loss, and coexistence with local communities/regional revitalization, contributing to the realization of a sustainable energy society.
Roles of each company:
- Hankyu Corporation: End-user procuring renewable energy over the long term.
- Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.: Retail electricity provider responsible for supply.
- Sun Trinity LLC: Power generator responsible for development, ownership, and operation of solar plants.
Comment from Toshiki Kashihara, President of Sun Trinity LLC:
'We are very grateful to have realized this project with Hankyu Corporation and Kansai Electric Power. This project contributes to enhancing the sustainability of our customers' business activities while making effective use of abandoned farmland. In Japan, where land for renewable energy is limited, we will accelerate our efforts to expand this model to even more customers.'