Overview
- The Japan Ecological Society’s Kyushu branch on Dec. 10 submitted a request urging conservation measures, a law‑aligned environmental impact assessment, and public disclosure with comment opportunities for the Ukushima project.
- Ukushima Mirai Energy LLC, funded by Craftia and Kyocera, is building a roughly 480 MW facility that began construction in December 2023 with operation targeted in fiscal 2026.
- Because the plan was declared before Japan’s 2020 EIA revision that mandates reviews for solar projects over 40,000 kW, the developer faces no statutory assessment requirement.
- The company says it is conducting a voluntary assessment under expert guidance, but ecological researchers note that survey methods and results have not been published.
- Separately on Dec. 11, Tsurui village in Hokkaido unanimously approved funds to buy about 7.5 hectares of private land to prevent a proposed megasolar near Kushiro Wetland, citing landscape protection and red‑crowned crane habitat, with negotiations and donations targeting about ¥3 million in total acquisition cost.