Shizen Energy establishes Hokkaido Shizen Energy Inc.

- Envisioning Hokkaido's future through decarbonization with the community -

2024.03.08[Press Release]

Shizen Energy Inc.(Shizen Energy) has established a wholly owned subsidiary, Hokkaido Shizen Energy Inc. (Hokkaido Shizen Energy) on March 1, 2024. As a community-based company rooted in Hokkaido, Hokkaido Shizen Energy will develop renewable energy development projects in harmony with the local community and provide comprehensive decarbonization solutions to its customers and partners, including local governments, the agricultural and livestock industry, academia, and industrial sectors in Hokkaido.

(From left: Naoto Takiguchi, Yoshiharu Ishii, Makoto Doyashiki)

According to the Ministry of the Environment’s Renewable Energy Potential System (REPOS), Hokkaido has a potential solar power installation capacity (land-based) of 337,471 MW *1, which is outstandingly high compared to other regions of Japan, and further development of renewable energy power plants is highly anticipated.

Shizen Energy has designed and promoted renewable energy development projects in Hokkaido to meet the various needs of its customers and partners, including local governments, the agriculture and livestock industry, academia, and other industrial sectors. The company supplies renewable energy to companies in Hokkaido under a corporate PPA and is conducting a joint demonstration project using a vertical solar power generation system installed on the grounds of Rakuno Gakuen University. 

The new company will seamlessly utilize Shizen Energy Group’s expertise to provide comprehensive decarbonization solutions such as decarbonization support services and decarbonization mobility services, maximizing Hokkaido’s renewable energy potential.

In particular, Shizen Energy will make maximum efforts to promote the stabilization and decarbonization of the livestock industry and agricultural businesses through the coexistence of renewable energy and agriculture, including a joint project with Rakuno Gakuen University which began in December 2023 to explore the possibility of symbiosis between renewable energy and agriculture by utilizing vertical solar panels.

Hokkaido Shizen Energy’s vision is to create Hokkaido’s future with the community through renewable energy while protecting Hokkaido’s remarkable nature. Hokkaido Shizen Energy will work with the community to promote a sustainable decarbonized society and envision Hokkaido’s future through decarbonization.

*1 Ministry of the Environment Renewable Energy Potential System (Japanese website) 
https://www.renewable-energy-potential.env.go.jp/RenewableEnergy/outline.html?energy=sunlight

Company Overview 

Name 

Hokkaido Shizen Energy Inc. 

Established 

March 1, 2024

Representative 

Naoto Takiguchi  President, Representative Director 

Capital Structure 

Shizen Energy Inc.  100%

Capital 

10,000,000 JPY

Location 

JR GOGO SAPPORO 6F, 5-1-5 Nishi 5-chome, Kita 5-jo, Chuo-ku, Sapporo

Objective
In Hokkaido, where diverse energy sources such as solar power, wind power, biomass, and geothermal energy are abundant and further potential for introducing renewable energy is expected, the company aims to promote local decarbonization and contribute to regional development especially in the primary industry.

Business
 Planning, proposal, support and development of decarbonization solutions for municipalities and other organizations in Hokkaido

1. Renewable energy and large storage batteries

  • Development of renewable energy sources in harmony with local communities based on Shizen Energy Group’s development expertise
  • Development and utilization of grid storage batteries to improve the balancing capacity of the electric power infrastructure
  • Development of new technologies that contribute to regional decarbonization in collaboration with academic institutions

2. Corporate PPA and microgrid

  • Renewable energy supply through corporate PPAs and microgrid development using renewable energy sources and grid storage batteries

3. Decarbonization support services

  • Planning of decarbonization promotion measures, installation of decarbonization promotion equipment, and implementation support for decarbonization management for companies and municipalities in Hokkaido
  • Proposals for projects utilizing renewable energy certificates and carbon credits, and support for the creation of credits

4. Decarbonized mobility services

  • Comprehensive support services for decarbonizing the transportation sector, including renewable energy installation, EV infrastructure, and post-installation fleet management

Executive Structure  
Yoshiharu Ishii  Chairman
After graduating from university, Yoshiharu joined the current Development Bank of Japan. At the Hokkaido Branch, he was in charge of financing and reviewing regional development projects, and was also involved in research and public relations. Since 2005, he has been at Hokkaido University Public Policy School, where his main research area is regional development in Hokkaido, drawing on his previous experience. Recently, he has also focused on supporting the development of various projects related to the development of sustainable transportation systems and the promotion of decarbonization.

Naoto Takiguchi  President, Representative Director
After graduating from university, Naoto joined Mitsui & Co. Ltd. where he worked in the Chemicals Division and was stationed in Spain, Germany, and the U.S. where he developed relationships with a variety of industries on a global scale. He is particularly experienced in new business development and, as head of the Renewable Energy Business Office from 2010 to 2014, was involved in the construction of Japan’s first renewable energy pension fund and the first mega solar power plant in the area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake at the dawn of the renewable energy industry in Japan. In December 2021, he joined Shizen Energy. As Executive Officer, he established the New Business Development Department and aims to revitalize Japanese communities through renewable energy.

Makoto Doyashiki  Vice President, Representative Director 
After graduating from university, Makoto worked for the Ishikari city government, mainly on regional development projects such as ports and harbors. Since 2014, he has been in charge of attracting companies to the Ishikari Bay New Port Area, an industrial area in Sapporo, where he has been able to attract logistics, commercial facilities, hotels, and other businesses. At the same  time, he has focused on industrial decarbonization as a new added value for the region. He leads the promotion of the “RE Zone” scheme, which provides renewable energy to the region and encourages the expansion of businesses such as renewable energy data centers. He joined Shizen Energy in April 2023. In the New Business Development Department, he oversees regional collaboration projects and aims to revitalize communities through regional decarbonization. He is currently a visiting professor at Hokkaido University of Science for Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, and an advisor to the Ministry of the Environment on decarbonized urban planning.

【About Shizen Energy Inc.】
Founded in June, 2011. With the company purpose of “We take action for the blue planet,” the company’s business includes development, financing, and asset management of renewable energy power plants using solar power, wind power, small-scale hydroelectric power, and biomass. Since 2016, the company has also been focusing on its international operations, expanding its development and power generation projects in areas such as Southeast Asia and Brazil. In 2019, the company also entered the energy tech business, offering micro-grid and VPP construction, smart charging and discharging services for EVs, and other services through its self-developed EMS (energy management system). Shizen Energy Group has been involved in more than 1 GW of renewable energy generation internationally. 
 ・Headquarters: Fukuoka Ohori Bldg. 1-1-6 Arato, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka  
    ・Representative Directors: Ken Isono, Kenji Kawado, Masaya Hasegawa
 ・URL: https://www.shizenenergy.net/en/