Motivated by the prospect for growing demand for renewable energy, Tokyo Gas decided to participate fully in wind generation, accepting the request for the allocation of new shares to a third party by Shonai Wind-Power Generation in Ibaraki Prefecture. Tokyo Gas will be the second largest shareholder of Shonai Wind-Power Generation following Hitachi Engineering & Service. The investment is estimated at several million yen and investment ration at about 30%. Tokyo Gas wishes to accumulate know-how on wind generation. Founded in 2005, Shonai Wind-Power Generation is operating 10 wind generation plants with a total output of about 16,000 kW, all of which is sold to Tohoku Power Company. A large capacity lead storage battery developed by Shin-kobe Electric Machinery, one of Hitachi’s group companies, is installed in seven of the 10 plants. The seven plants are featured by constant electricity supply because they can supplement the weakness of natural energy.
Tokyo Gas is currently operating a small-scale wind generation plant with an output of 2,000 kW and selling the electricity through the intermediary of its group companies. By investing in Shonai Wind-Power, Tokyo Gas plans to accumulate know-how on the construction and management of an energy system. The company is very branching into new business fields to develop reusable energy. It has already been marketing the home fuel cell in alliance with Panasonic, the gas hot-water system utilizing solar heat, and the photovoltaic generation system and the home fuel cell as a packaging product. In addition, it plans to start substantiative experiments of the Smart House that combines photovoltaic generation, solar water system, and fuel cell shortly.
