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Equity Participation in Wood Biomass Power Generation Company in Tomakomai City, Hokkaido

Oct. 24, 2014


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Mitsui & Co., Ltd. ("Mitsui", Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President & CEO; Masami Iijima), Iwakura Corporation (Head Office: Tomakomai City, Hokkaido, President: Hideo Goto), Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President: Akira Ichikawa), and Hokkaido Gas Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Sapporo City, Hokkaido, President: Hiroshi Otsuki) have today signed a shareholder agreement providing for joint investment in the establishment of Tomakomai Biomass Power Generation Co., Ltd. ("the new company") in Tomakomai City, Hokkaido. The new company will operate a wood biomass power generation business ("the business").

The new company will build generation facilities with a capacity of approximately 5.8MW in the Harumi-cho district of Tomakomai City in order to produce electricity for sale at a fixed price under the Feed-in Tariff Scheme for Renewable Energy (*1). Construction will begin in May 2015, and the facility is expected to be in operation by December 2016.

The facility will be fueled by wood chips produced entirely from unused timber (*2) from forests in Hokkaido. Following the start of operations, the new business is expected to generate additional demand for approximately 60,000 tons of timber annually. The business will have wide-ranging social significance. In particular, it will encourage the maintenance of forest environments while stimulating the development of forestry in Hokkaido and contributing to job creation and regional revitalization.

Mitsui owns approximately 44,000 hectares of forests throughout Japan. For many years it has carefully conserved these forests as assets that contribute to the public good and bring benefits to the whole of society. Around 80% of Mitsui's forests, with an area of about 35,000 hectares, are located in Hokkaido. Following the start-up of the business, the new company will be supplied with previously unused timber from these forests.

Through its Hokkaido Office, Mitsui works closely with local communities and has expanded its networks with businesses and local government organizations within Hokkaido. Mitsui will continue to use its experience in the use of wood biomass in electric power generation to develop new energy projects that will contribute to the reliable supply of energy.

*1 Feed-in Tariff Scheme for Renewable Energy: Under this system, electric power companies are required to purchase electricity generated using renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass) at a fixed price.
*2 Unused timber from forests: Thinning residues and other residual forest materials

Profile of Tomakomai Biomass Power Generation Co., Ltd.

Address 40-4, Harumi-cho, Tomakomai City, Hokkaido
Capital ¥499 million
Shareholders Mitsui & Co. Ltd. 40%
Iwakura Corporation 20%
Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. 20%
Hokkaido Gas Co., Ltd. 20%
Activity Electric power generation using wood biomass
Fuel usage Approximately 60,000 tons of unused forest timber
Main facilities Fluidized bed boilers, Steam turbine generators
Generation capacity Generating-end output: Approx. 5.8MW (Sending-end output: 5MW)
Annual output Approx. 40 million kWh (sufficient to meet the annual electric power requirements of approx. 10,000 average homes)
Tentative date for start of operations December 2016

Project Scheme

Project Scheme

The Niwan Forest in Hokkaido (owned by Mitsui)

The Niwan Forest in Hokkaido (owned by Mitsui)

Woodchip processing in a forest area

Woodchip processing in a forest area

Notice:
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Mitsui's current assumptions, expectations and beliefs in light of the information currently possessed by it and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause Mitsui's actual results, financial position or cash flows to be materially different from any future results, financial position or cash flows expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors referred to above include, but are not limited to, those contained in Mitsui's latest Annual Securities Report and Quarterly Securities Report, and Mitsui undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
This announcement is published in order to publicly announce specific facts stated above, and does not constitute a solicitation of investments or any similar act inside or outside of Japan, regarding the shares, bonds or other securities issued by us.

Information

For inquiries on this matter, please contact

Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Corporate Communications Division
Telephone: +81-80-5912-0321
Facsimile: +81-3-3285-9819
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