Japanese Billionaire Touted to Kick-Start Solar Power Plants In Tsunami-Hit Areas

Jun 22, 2011 - Mark Osborne - pv-tech.org

Japan's richest man, Masayoshi Son, the CEO of Japanese telecom company, Softbank, wants to kick-start large solar power plants in tsunami-hit areas of eastern Japan, according to reports. Said to be an advocate of shifting Japan away from nuclear energy towards greater dependence on renewable forms of energy, Son wants to provide approximately 10% of the funding for 10 projects, supported by local governments and banks.

The reports say that Softbank’s Son would use PV modules from Sharp for the projects, due to the telecom company’s use of Sharp phones. Softbank is also the sole supplier of Apple products in Japan.

The Japanese Government recently announced a review of its energy needs, which would potentially include more emphasis on renewable energy sources