Spanish solar firm invests US$1.16 billion in Japanese solar

Spanish solar plant maker Gestamp Solar is investing US$1.16 billion to build solar plants and panels in Japan.

The company recently signed an agreement with Kankyo Keiei Senryaku Soken to build and operate rooftop photovoltaic installations with a capacity of 30 MW. Both firms intend to generate some 300 MW within three years through a combination of rooftop and ground-mounted projects. Of that capacity, 70% will come from rooftop projects in the long term.

Gestamp Solar is planning to start building the solar installations before year's end with the goal of having its first plant up operational by March 2013. It is also in talks with supermarkets and other commercial outlets to install solar panels on some 40 or 50 surfaces.

The company, a unit of Gestamp Renewables, specializes in the development, construction, operation and maintenance of solar parks and has developed photovoltaic installations with more than 500 MW of generating capacity in 13 countries, including the US, Spain, Peru and Chile.

Gestamp Solar is a developer and operator of utility-scale photovoltaic plants. The company built 2 of the 10 largest farms in the world: Fuente Álamo and Calasparra.