Solar Frontier announced to form a joint venture with the Development Bank of Japan (DBI) and Taiyo Oil Company for developing a 16.5MW solar project in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The JV, named SDT Solar Power, will be responsible for the project’s development and management.

The Yamaguchi project will utilize Solar Frontier’s CIS modules for better power yield. SDT Solar Power, led by Takuro Watanabe, is now initiating work on the project. Construction of the solar power plant is scheduled to begin in this summer and the operation date is target at 2017. It is expected to produce about 20,000,000 kWh of solar electricity per year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 3,880 average households in Japan.

DBJ directly invests in the project by its “Special Investment Operations” established in 2015. The purpose of the program is to contribute to regional economic revitalization and reinforce corporate competitiveness by investing in development projects or fund raising. On the other hand, Taiyo Oil Company will lease its land for the solar project.