JERA and Others Launch Decarbonization Project for Packed Rice, Supplying 100% Renewable Electricity

en.Wedoany.com Reported - JERA Co., Inc., JERA Cross Co., Inc., and Japan Pack Rice Oga Co., Ltd. have jointly launched the "Packed Rice Project" (the Project) to drive the green transformation (GX) of Akita Prefecture's food industry through the decarbonization of packed rice production. As the first initiative under the Project, JERA Cross has begun supplying actually 100% renewable electricity*1 to the Japan Pack Rice Oga manufacturing plant in Oga City for packed rice production, reducing CO2 emissions and producing packed rice products with higher environmental value.

Japan's agriculture is under dual pressure from a continuously declining workforce and growing societal demands for low-carbon food production. Protecting agricultural infrastructure and ensuring its sustainable succession requires not only supporting producers but also implementing emission reductions across the entire food value chain.

The three parties will continue to explore opportunities to expand renewable energy use and enhance the Project's environmental value. JERA is responsible for project planning and stakeholder coordination, while JERA Cross supports implementation through renewable electricity supply and other customized decarbonization solutions. The three partners aim to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon food system and create new environmental value through collaboration.

Japan Pack Rice Oga was established in 2023, with its manufacturing plant converted from the former Noishi Elementary School building in Oga City. The company is committed to decarbonizing the packed rice manufacturing process while enhancing project value, and aims to create an environment where local farmers can cultivate rice with peace of mind through plant operations, contributing to the long-term sustainable development of Akita Prefecture's agriculture.

JERA Cross is a wholly owned subsidiary of JERA established in June 2024, positioned as a GX startup. Through its two core businesses—GTS (Green Transformation Service) consulting and GEM (Green Energy Management) carbon-free electricity supply—the company provides end-to-end support ranging from decarbonization roadmap and strategy development to renewable energy supply (including solar power purchase agreements (PPAs), battery storage, and demand optimization aggregation), as well as "hourly matching" 24/7 carbon-free electricity*2, with the goal of transforming decarbonization from a cost into value.

JERA was established in 2015 and is Japan's largest power generation company, supplying approximately one-third of Japan's electricity and one of the world's largest LNG buyers. Its operations span upstream natural gas exploration and production, LNG projects, fuel procurement and transportation, and power generation globally. JERA is committed to advancing GX as a source of value for businesses and society, and plans to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions across its domestic and international operations by 2050.

*1 Actually 100% renewable electricity refers to electricity whose CO2 emissions are considered effectively zero through the use of environmental attributes such as non-fossil certificates.

*2 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) carbon-free electricity refers to electricity that emits no CO2 at all times of every day, all 365 days of the year. According to Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Guidelines for Electricity Retail Sales Business, this term refers to a supply scheme in which 100% of demand electricity is sourced from zero-CO2-emission power sources (renewable energy generation facilities, hydrogen generation facilities, etc.) and supplied together with environmental value through the use of non-fossil certificates. This does not indicate zero CO2 emissions throughout the entire life cycle, including fuel production and transportation.