World’s largest rooftop solar panel installation the size of 18 football pitches gets underway at Falken tyre manufacturing facility

The world’s largest rooftop solar panel installation¹ on a single facility and measuring 100,000 square metres, the size of over 18 football pitches, is under construction for Falken at parent company, Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) factory in Thailand.

Comprising 40,000 solar panels with a total output of 22MW, the new installation will generate enough solar power to support manufacture a range of Falken tyres destined for Europe once completed in January 2025. The investment in the new solar panel installation along with gas co-generation system and abiomass electric power system energy initiatives at the Rayong Province facility will enable it to ultimately use 100 percent renewable energyᵌ.

As well as adopting solar power, a new gas co-generation system, comprising two 6.6MW boilers, powered by renewable energy sources will replace energy supplied by local utility companies. Biomass, derived from the surplus branches and trunks after rubber trees are harvested, as part of SRI’s Sustainable Natural Rubber⁴ programme will provide additional electrical power.

In total, the new initiatives will reduce total annual CO2 emissions by 38,000 tonnes.²

Driven by SRI’s long-term sustainability policy, ‘Driving Our Future Challenge 2050⁵’ the latest initiatives will help accelerate its carbon neutral goals. This aims to reduce annual Scope 1 and 2 CO₂ emissions by 50 percent (compared to 2017 emissions) with its 2030 target now set to be achievable one year ahead of schedule.

Notes to Editors

1. As of February 1, 2023, this will be the largest world’s rooftop solar panel array installed at a single facility. (According to Internal KEPCO Research)

2. This program supports projects that take advantage of advanced decarbonization technologies, etc. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries and elsewhere while promoting the practice of MRV (Measurement, Reporting and Verification). In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries and beyond, this program also aims to contribute to the achievement of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set by Japan and other partner countries through JCM (Joint Crediting Mechanism). The program subsidizes up to 50% of the initial investment cost of introducing advanced decarbonization technologies, etc. The project described above is being carried out with joint support from the governments of both Thailand and Japan.

3. Certified and issued by a Non-Profit Organization called “The I-REC Standard,” I-REC (International Renewable Energy Certificates) serves as documentation attesting to the renewable energy attributes of electric power that has been generated using renewable energy sources.

4. Sumitomo Rubber Group Updates “Sustainable Natural Rubber Policy” (News Release Issued August 31, 2021. https://www.srigroup.co.jp/english/newsrelease/2021/sri/2021_067.html

5. Sumitomo Rubber Establishes Long-Term Sustainability Policy: “Driving Our Future Challenge 2050”(News Release Issued