Maniwa Solar Power Plant, scheduled for completion in August 2026, is a large-scale solar project with a capacity of 72 MW currently under development in Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture. The project is being developed by renewable energy company Vena Energy and has entered into a 20-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with LY Corporation. Under the agreement, LY Corporation will purchase 85 GWh of environmental value annually for 20 years from Maniwa Solar Power Plant, making it one of the largest single-unit solar projects in Japan dedicated to a VPPA. This long-term procurement is expected to avoid approximately 740,000 tons of CO2 emissions over the contract period.

Maniwa Solar Power Plant was originally certified under Japan’s feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme and had obtained a FIT ID. However, following the conclusion of the VPPA with LY Corporation, the project is transitioning from FIT to the feed-in premium (FIP) scheme. Among the projects whose facility IDs disappeared compared with the previous month, NRE-46 Investment (Okayama Prefecture, 68,640 kW) is believed to be associated with Maniwa Solar Power Plant, suggesting that the disappearance of the facility ID likely reflects this shift in project structure.

Maniwa Solar Power Plant is notable not only as LY Corporation’s first VPPA project, but also as a renewable energy source with clear additionality. The project is being developed on a former golf course site, avoiding the need for new land clearing and thereby reducing environmental impact. It is also expected to create local employment opportunities during both construction and operation, while a portion of revenue from environmental value transactions is planned to be reinvested into the local community, positioning the project as a leading model for Japan’s corporate PPA market.