Toyota Motor Corp. plans to build a hydroponic vegetable plant in disaster-affected Fukushima Prefecture that will not rely on soil to grow greens, The Asahi Shimbun has learned.
Toyota Motor Corp. plans to build a hydroponic vegetable plant in disaster-affected Fukushima Prefecture that will not rely on soil to grow greens, The Asahi Shimbun has learned.The project will start next year.The automaker will also erect a solar power plant capable of generating 12 megawatts. That would give it one of the highest levels of output among solar power plants in Japan.The two facilities are scheduled to be built on a golf course in Kunimi, northern Fukushima Prefecture, with the intention of contributing to the town's recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake through investment.This project is expected to enable the production of vegetables without any fears of radiation contamination or a significant shortage of electricity. Since the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant became compromised and began spewing radiation in mid-March, many people have steered clear of vegetables grown in the prefecture over fears of radiation contamination.Toyota will start to install solar panels on the golf course by the end of this year and will begin to produce electricity next summer, the company said. The automaker will then build the vegetable production facility by the end of next year, which will use electricity from the solar plant.Inside the plant, lettuce and other vegetables are expected to be cultivated in water under bright lights.A proposal has been made for the plant to use direct sunlight during daytime hours to cut power consumption, making it a "hybrid" plant. Toyota said it will sell any unused power output to power companies.