- Electricity from the projects will help Amazon match the electricity consumed across its operations with carbon-free energy.
- Amazon has now enabled a total of 25 renewable energy projects in Japan to date, including 9 offsite solar and wind farms as well as 16 onsite solar projects.
- Bloomberg NEF recognizes Amazon as the top corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally for the fifth year in a row. Amazon is also the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy to date in Japan.
Tokyo, January 29, 2025 - Amazon announces its investment in four new utility-scale solar projects in Japan. With these investments, Amazon has more than doubled its renewable energy capacity in the country within one year, increasing from 101 megawatts (MW) in 2023 to 211MW in 2024. Amazon now has enabled a total of 25 renewable energy projects in Japan to date, which include 9 utility-scale solar and wind farms across the country, as well as 16 onsite rooftop solar projects on local buildings that host Amazon operations.
The four new offsite solar projects include: a 35MW solar farm in Fukushima Prefecture with EDP Renewables Japan, a 10MW solar farm in Hokkaido with HEXA Renewables Japan, another 10MW solar farm in Hokkaido, and a 10MW solar farm in Yamaguchi Prefecture with X-ELIO Japan. Electricity from the projects will help Amazon match the electricity consumed across its operations with carbon-free energy.
These investments are part of Amazon's broader efforts to invest in new sources of carbon-free energy as part of its Climate Pledge commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040.
Once all 25 projects are operational, they are expected to generate more than 320,000 megawatt hours (MWh), enough energy to power the equivalent of more than 76,000 Japanese households each year[1].
According to Bloomberg NEF, Amazon has been the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally since 2020. Amazon is also the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy to date in Japan. Amazon has supported more than 600 wind and solar projects worldwide to date.
“Amazon is committed to driving the carbon-free energy transition forward, both to advance our sustainability goals and support Japan’s carbon-free energy transition," said Jasper Cheung, Vice President, Country Manager Amazon Japan. "As global energy demands continue to grow, we’re focused on bringing new sources of solar and wind energy to the country, which will help support our operations, as well as the communities where our customers live and work. We look forward to collaborating with the Government of Japan, energy developers, and other corporations to accelerate Japan’s decarbonization and promote further expansion of renewable energy in the country."
"To align with its Paris Agreement greenhouse gas reduction targets, Japan must critically accelerate the expansion of renewable energy in its power generation mix," said Yusuke Matsuo, Executive Director of the Japan Climate Leaders' Partnership. "Amazon plays a crucial role in Japan's renewable energy transition through its diverse project portfolio, including aggregated and standalone utility-scale solar and wind power, and by enabling innovative buyer-driven procurement. We look forward to Amazon's continued leadership in guiding businesses and industries towards realizing a renewable energy-powered society in Japan."
Addressing Japan’s unique challenges for renewable energy investments
To address Japan's land scarcity challenges, where mountainous terrain covers over 70% of the country and limits space for large utility-scale energy projects, Amazon has implemented an innovative mix of renewable energy solutions. The approach includes standalone and aggregated solar installations, as well as onsite solar arrays on local Amazon buildings. Aggregated solar projects, in particular, offer an effective solution for Japan by combining multiple smaller solar installations across various locations where land availability is limited. For instance, a project Amazon enabled spans over 450 sites in the Greater Tokyo and Tohoku areas and generates 23,000 MWh annually, enough energy to power the equivalent of approximately 5,600 Japanese households. This distributed approach maximizes land use efficiency.
Supporting local communities
The renewable energy projects Amazon supports provide new sources of carbon-free energy to the local communities where our customers, vendors, and employees live and work. They also help create jobs, support local businesses, and boost the local tax base, which are all part of Amazon’s commitment to become a more sustainable company.
See photos and videos of Amazon’s latest renewable energy projects here, and learn more about Amazon’s broader carbon-free energy strategy here.
[1] Based on the assumption that the average annual Japanese household energy consumption is 4,175kWh.
Appendix
Amazon’s offsite renewable energy projects in Japan (As of January 29, 2025)
- 22MW Solar Farm in the Greater Tokyo and Tohoku areas with Mitsubishi Corporation
- 38MW Solar Farm in the Greater Tokyo, Tohoku and Chubu areas with Clean Energy Connect
- 16MW Solar Farm in Greater Tokyo, Kansai, Tohoku, Chubu and Chugoku areas with KR Energy
- 9.5MW Solar Farm in Yamaguchi Prefecture with ENEOS Renewable Energy Corporation
- 33MW Onshore Wind Farm in Aomori Prefecture with Cosmo Eco Power
- 35MW Solar Farm in Fukushima Prefecture with EDP Renewables Japan
- 10MW Solar Farm in Hokkaido with HEXA Renewables Japan
- 10MW Solar Farm in Hokkaido with an unnamed developer
- 10MW Solar Farm in Yamaguchi Prefecture with X-ELIO Japan