Japan's Shinkansen trains introduce renewable energy for the first time, and the utilization rate will reach 10% by the end of fiscal year 2027.

CTOnews.com, June 20, JR West Japan announced yesterday that it will convert about 10% of the total electricity used by its Shinkansen trains into renewable energy to generate electricity by the end of fiscal year 2027. This is also the first time that renewable energy has been introduced into Shinkansen in Japan.

▲ JR West Japan, June 19, JR West Japan and China Electric Power (CTOnews.com Note: "China" here is one of Japan's regions, not China) signed a remote power purchase agreement to install solar power equipment and receive renewable energy power for JR West Japan. Remote power purchase means that power generation companies install solar power generation facilities far away from electricity demand, and the renewable energy produced by these facilities is long-term targeted supply by retail power suppliers through the power system.

The power transmission target set by the agreement between the two sides is the Shinkansen substation in Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures, which will provide power and expand the supply in phases from July 2023. By the end of 2027, the power supply is expected to reach 10% of the electricity consumption of JR's western Japan Shinkansen, when the carbon dioxide emissions from Shinkansen operation will be reduced by about 61000 tons per year (equivalent to the annual emissions of 20000 ordinary households).