Event

Twenty-six students from the Monash Business School in Melbourne visited JRE. Two JRE employees gave the students a lecture covering topics such as the renewable energy business environment, issues in promoting its use, and JRE’s business operations in the field. One of the employees, who happened to be an alumnus of Monash University, also talked about career-building. The students showed keen interest and asked many questions. Students actively participated in the Q&A session, where they brought up topics such as Australia’s electric power situation and issues in expanding renewables in the country. It was a learning opportunity for both the JRE employees and students. The students visited several companies on their tour of Tokyo and at the end gave a presentation on their thoughts gained through the tour. In this way, they learned about global business, and it seems they were also able to experience famous attractions in Tokyo such as Asakusa and the yakatabune cruising boats before returning home.

JRE intends to continue supporting the education of coming generations.

Eleven members of ERE Group participated in the Kehi Shrine Festival in Tsuruoka.

The Kehi Shrine Festival is the earliest spring festival in the Shonai area of Yamagata Prefecture to pray for a bountiful harvest. Hundreds of people in formal kimonos and festive attire form a procession. The highlight is the dynamic “jumping mikoshi,” where young men in white robes carry a 400 kg portable shrine, leaping and chanting as they move along.

At the request of local residents, 11 of our employees assisted in carrying the children’s portable shrine. They walked through the town of Sanze alongside local elementary school students and Tohoku University of Community Service and Science students, receiving offerings of sake and sweets from community members.

Participating employees received words of gratitude from local residents, making it a truly meaningful experience for all of them. As a member of the community, ERE will continue to walk alongside the local people.

After examining cut wood to learn about the importance of forests and sustainable resource utilization, 14 members that included 2024 new graduate hires and other ERE Group employees, planted eucalyptus seedlings in Sammu, Chiba Prefecture. This marks the third such event, following the one held in October 2023.

EG Forest provided a lecture on the importance of forests and sustainable resource utilization before the participants began planting eucalyptus seedlings. Although it was the first planting experience for most participants, they were able to work efficiently with EG Forest members and guest participants from the city of Isumi, planting a total of 1,600 trees in about two hours. Afterwards, participants enjoyed a social gathering with freshly cooked rice, locally sourced pork, and freshly harvested vegetables.

New hires who participated shared their thoughts, saying, “The soil at the planting site was harder than expected, making it more labor-intensive, but there was a sense of accomplishment in completing the task” and “It was a satisfying program that allowed us to experience tree planting and interact with other employees and local residents.”

As part of ERE Group’s efforts to promote the utilization of Japanese forests and contribute to a recycling-oriented society, the Group plans to continue this program in the future.

Reforestation projects by EG Forest (press release in Japanese only):https://www.eco-g.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/eg-news20210716a.pdf

The JRE Kamisu Biomass Power Plant was recently featured in an environmental education video created for elementary and junior high school students as part of Chiba City’s efforts to combat global warming. (Visit the Chiba City website here.)

The video, whose production was led by the Chiba University Environmental ISO Student Committee, is part of a series that follows Kuroko Takara—a VTuber who specializes in educational “field trip” content—on visits to companies active in the fight against global warming. In addition to explaining the process of using woody biomass to generate electricity, the video also looks at points like the benefits of procuring wood for the power plant exclusively from domestic sources.

To develop the content, Chiba University students started meeting with ERE employees at the end of last year and even visited power plants on multiple occasions for research purposes. Through that hard work, the effort succeeded in presenting important information in a concise, straightforward way and generating a wealth of valuable learning opportunities for not only the students in the target audience but also for the students behind the video and ERE, as well.

Going forward, ERE will continue to support the education of the next generation.

ERE co-sponsored and participated in the Yamaga Ebine Delicious Beef and Rice Kids Festival held in Yamagamachi, Kitsuki, where ERE operates the JRE Oita Beppuwan Wind Farm. This festival, held for the first time as a co-hosted event with the 2024 Ebine Marathon, was attended by eight ERE employees. With over 1,000 marathon participants and supporters, the festival was a great success, featuring numerous food stalls and events to cater to the marathon-goers. ERE team members worked hard on preparations the day before the event, engaging in physical tasks like making sandbags and with unaccustomed hands preparing ingredients for dishes like yakiniku rice bowls using Yamaga’s famous beef and rice, which inspired the festival’s name. At the venue, ERE team members set up a booth featuring poster board displays and a hands-on activity where visitors could make wind turbines from plastic bottles, which was enjoyed by many participants.

This year, 19 employees from ERE Group participated. On the day before the festival, they assisted with various preparations, including peeling moso bamboo shoots, cooking bamboo soup, crafting bamboo sake cups and sake bottles, and setting up tents at the venue.

One employee participated in the festival for the first time in eight years since her involvement during the development of the JRE Tsuruoka Hachimoriyama Wind Farm. She was thrilled to see the turbines of the wind farm in operation up close and were delighted to reunite with the local community, cooperating companies, and construction firms who had supported the project.

The day of the festival, our employees enjoyed spending time with the local community, realizing how our power plant project has also contributed to fostering interaction among the area’s residents.

Eight employees from the ERE Group participated in drainage ditch cleaning activities in the residential area near the JRE Himeji Solar Power Plant, which overlooks the World Heritage site Himeji Castle.

Despite a forecast of rain, the weather held up. And while the work was new for the participants, they spent very meaningful time communicating with members of the neighboring community association while removing mud and fallen leaves from the drains and cutting grass.

It was a valuable experience that renewed the participants’ appreciation for nature, which provides the environment needed for power generation, and for the people who coexist with it.

Sixteen ERE employees participated in the main Sakata Festival and its “eve festival” the night before in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture.

The Sakata Festival has been ongoing since the Edo period, but it has been facing challenges such as a shortage of manpower due to declining membership in the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Sakata. This year, ERE was invited by JCI Sakata to participate, and the participants spent six months preparing for the event.

Before the festival, the participants helped set up displays at Shimohie Shrine, including 150 traditional kasafuku hanging ornaments designed by local high school students in the shape of Portuguese-style umbrellas and 500 pinwheels from the Sakata Port Wind Power Operators Association. In the evening, they joined local high school students and the Sakata Soureikai in performing Sakata Festival music on stage.

Group employees also participated twice, in the morning and afternoon, as pushers for the Hiyoshimaru float, which was jointly created by the city of Sakata and JCI Sakata. Despite the unfortunate rainy weather, they felt proud to be part of the team that energized the approximately 250,000 festival-goers.

ERE participated in the forum along with consortium members as the selected operator for an offshore project off the coast of Happo Town and Noshiro City.

The business seminar featured an address by the Vice Governor of Akita Prefecture, followed by explanations from the selected operator consortiums of an offshore project in Oga, Katagami, and off the coast of Akita, greetings and project explanations from our consortium’s representatives, product presentations by local companies, and a presentation of initiatives by Akita Prefecture.

From ERE, Managing Executive Officer, Kiyoshi Doi delivered a powerful statement of commitment as the consortium representative, while our project director presented an overview of the project, construction/maintenance, and the ripple effects on the prefecture, including community engagement measures.

The networking session afterwards was attended by about 170 people, where we could sense the high expectations for offshore wind power projects and the unwavering determination of those involved.

ERE hosted a Mölkky tournament at the Hikarigaoka Baseball Stadium indoor practice field in Sakata, with cooperation from local companies Sakata Beika Co., Ltd., Kato Mokko, and an onigiri shop in Sakata called Onimaru. We invited Yasutada Kawano, a former Mölkky* world champion, who taught local children the rules and throwing techniques of the game in the morning. For lunch, participants enjoyed onigiri from Onimaru. In the afternoon, we held a workshop where participants decorated their original Mölkky (throwing sticks) and skittles (wooden pins) made from Sakata cedar thinnings provided by Kato Mokko. A total of 60 people in 25 groups participated, with children from kindergarten to elementary school enjoying Mölkky and learning about environmental issues.

After the experience event, there was a Mölkky tournament hosted by Sakata Beika, in which ERE employees participated and won second place. It was a rewarding day for our employees, interacting with local community members through Mölkky.

*Mölkky is a sport developed in 1996, based on a traditional game called kyykkä from the Karelia region of Finland. Players throw the Mölkky and score points based on the number of skittles knocked down. The first to reach exactly 50 points wins.

ERE President Kazuhiro Takeuchi attended the international forum hosted by FLOWRA (Floating Offshore Wind Technology Research Association)

FLOWRA is a technology research association established in March this year, based on the European Joint Industry Program (JIP) model (a collaborative R&D approach led by energy companies) to build a cooperative system for floating offshore wind power. ERE joined in June this year.

Currently, 20 Japanese energy companies have joined, and future research plans are being discussed in working groups for each technical topic of focus.

On the day of the forum, executives from member companies, the FLOWRA chairman, officials from METI and MLIT, and ambassadors from various countries gathered for presentations. ERE is committed to actively participating in FLOWRA activities to play its part in supporting the wider adoption of floating offshore wind power generation.

Employees from our power plant participated in the 2024 Kamisu Beach Cleanup Activity (organized by the Kamisu Beach Cleanup Committee) held at Nikkawahama Beach in Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture, where the JRE Kamisu Biomass Power Plant is located.

This beach cleanup typically brings together over 1,500 participants, including those working at industrial complexes and general volunteers from within and outside the city.

With the previous day’s rain cleared, the event day was overcast with relatively comfortable weather. Despite the challenging sandy terrain, we were able to actively pick up trash.

Participating in this valuable event aimed at maintaining the beach’s beauty just before the swimming season heightened awareness about marine plastic waste. It was a very worthwhile experience for us!

In conjunction with the visit of the Spanish Minister of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, the Spain-Japan Business Summit was held at The Okura Tokyo, where ERE President Kazuhiro Takeuchi participated in a panel discussion on decarbonization. Among panelists representing leading companies from Japan and Spain, Takeuchi introduced ERE’s initiatives, including offshore wind projects off the coast of Happo Town and Noshiro City in Akita Prefecture, as well as the outlook for Japan’s renewable energy market. This drew considerable interest from the more than 200 attendees.

The Sakata Port Wind Power Operators Council, of which ERE is a member, made a donation to the City of Sakata.

On July 23rd, the member companies of the council—Kato Sogyo Co., Ltd., Cosmo Eco Power Co., Ltd., and ERE—visited Sakata’s Mayor Yaguchi for a donation presentation ceremony. ERE was represented by President Takeuchi and several development staff members. Mayor Yaguchi expressed her gratitude for the donation, saying, “I am thankful for this donation. We have high expectations that the offshore wind power projects and the development of the base port will revitalize local industries. We hope that many citizens feel positive about many renewable energy facilities being located here and that the city has become a better place. We would like to continue receiving advice from members of the council, and we appreciate your ongoing support in revitalizing the local economy.”

This donation will be used for the operations of the Minato Oasis Festival and other projects to revitalize Sakata Port, as well as for the mathematics education promotion project for developing talented students in science and technology fields.

The annual Tachiura Boat Race Competition, a summer tradition, is held in the waters near our Hirado Ikitsuki Office. We entered as JRE Hirado Ikitsuki Wind Farm, with a team of employees from ENEOS Renewable Energy Management Corporation, who are responsible for power plant operations. This year’s competition was the most exciting yet, with a record-breaking 31 teams and over 200 participants.

On the day of the competition, we set up a booth to introduce our business and offered a craft activity where visitors could make windmills using plastic bottles and blades made of candy. This was especially popular with children.

In the Tachiura Boat Race, using all of our might and inexperience at rowing, we were able to rock the boat, but we made little headway and unfortunately didn’t finish within the time limit. We’re determined to do better next time!

The JRE Hirado Ikitsuki Wind Farm, which started operations in April 2024, aims to be a power plant that can gather support from the local community. We also want to continue challenging ourselves in the boat race competition.

We held the first-ever tour of the JRE Hirado Ikitsuki Wind Farm, which began operations in April.

At the invitation of the Ikitsuki District Community Development Council, we organized a tour for 50 participants including children and adults. We showed a construction video at a local community hall, used slides to explain about wind turbines, and gave a quiz. The participants showed great interest, watching the video attentively and actively joining in the quiz.

When our chartered bus arrived at the power plant, you could hear people saying, “Wow, it’s huge!” and “Amazing!” as soon as people got off the bus.

We plan to continue organizing tours in the future to meet the requests of the local community.

On Wednesday, July 31st, ERE held an underwater drone experience for high school students at the 2023 Noshiro Next-Generation Energy School, organized by the city of Noshiro.

With the support of several of our employees, five students from Akita Prefectural Noshiro High School of Science and Technology tried their hand at operating the drones. The students were visibly excited and seemed to enjoy operating the drones. The competition held between two teams was particularly intense and lively. Local residents were able to get a sense of the potential of offshore wind power projects and their associated technologies through this experience, which was a significant achievement.

We plan to develop this initiative further and expand it to other regions. We’re excited to keep working on these activities with local communities.

On Thursday, August 1st, ERE participated in the Shirataki-jinja Shrine annual festival in Happō. This festival, which is said to have started in the early Showa era, is famous for its mikoshi-no-takiabi, in which the mikoshi (portable shrine) is carried into a waterfall. It is reportedly the only place in Japan where a mikoshi enters a waterfall. This tradition reportedly began when bearers, unable to withstand the intense heat, decided to cool off by going into the waterfall.

From seven in the morning, festival participants dressed in white carried the mikoshi through town, praying for a good harvest, safety at sea, and prosperity in business. Despite the early hour, townspeople waved as the mikoshi passed by, demonstrating how the whole town unites for this event.

With many participants from outside the prefecture and media attention, it was a valuable experience to be part of such a notable event. During the finale, as we carried the mikoshi into the sacred waterfall, the bearers overcame the chill of the water with their enthusiasm, and our employees felt exhilarated.

As a member of the community, our company will continue to walk alongside local residents.

On Saturday, August 3rd, we conducted a tour of the JRE Hirado Ikitsuki Wind Farm as part of the Hirado Eco Festival - Fieldwork event organized by the city of Hirado. We were fortunate to have good weather, and turbine No. 2 was conveniently facing our direction, making it a perfect day for the tour. Although the tour was brief due to other scheduled programs, with activities ranging from watching an introductory video about the power plant at the Ikitsuki Central Community Center and participating in a hilarious quiz conducted by power plant staff, we believe it was a fun and fulfilling experience for the children.

We will continue our efforts to be a valued renewable energy power plant, in harmony with the local community.

On Sunday, August 4th, we co-hosted a basketball clinic with the ENEOS Sunflowers, the women’s basketball team of ENEOS Holdings, at Shika Junior High School in the town of Shika in Ishikawa Prefecture.

We organized this event with the Shika School Education Division as part of the recovery efforts following the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred on January 1st this year. Despite the intense heat, members of elementary and junior high school basketball clubs from Shika and their parents participated. The clinic featured a number of fun practice drills, and the students seemed to enjoy interacting with the players while participating in the activities.

During the closing ceremony, Kokoro Kimura from Shika Junior High School gave a thank-you speech to the players, making it a very meaningful event.

This year, we held a Wind Day event at the JRE Oritsumedake South 1 Wind Farm with 18 families participating. The event was part of the Parent-Child GO Northern Prefecture Tour, a summer vacation program organized by a local newspaper, Iwate Nichinichi Shimbun, to learn about energy in a fun way. Participants toured the JRE Oritsumedake South 1 Wind Farm and made wind turbines from plastic bottles.

Making plastic bottle wind turbines that could successfully generate electricity was challenging even for adults. Although both children and parents struggled, they managed to complete them. We hope it was a memorable day for the children, seeing large wind turbines up close and making plastic bottle turbines with their families.

We were invited by Okyakuya, a Kochi Yosakoi team we sponsor, to participate in the Yosakoi Festival in Kochi. Several members from our group company ENEOS Renewable Energy Management attended.

Team Okyakuya was founded by someone who greatly supported us during the development of our JRE Kochi Kami Solar Power Plant. Every year, as part of our sponsorship, our company logo is displayed on the car that leads the dance, known as the jigatasha.

On the day of the festival, we visited various dance stages set up around the city to watch different teams perform. The choreography, costumes, music, and jigatasha designs varied greatly between teams. While respecting tradition, each team showcased its unique style, making it interesting to watch throughout the day.

Later, we learned that Okyakuya won a Jigatasha Encouragement Award. It was an experience that really made us feel the passion Kochi residents have for the Yosakoi Festival.

ERE donated uniforms (150 polo shirts and 50 hoodies) to the Council of Social Welfare in Shika, where the JRE Shika Saikai Wind Farm is located. The uniforms are being worn by staff at the Shika Community Support Center, which began operations in July.

The town of Shika was affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake on January 1st this year, and recovery efforts are still ongoing. ERE is supporting recovery efforts by organizing various events including basketball clinics. This donation is part of our ongoing community engagement.

We aim to continue operating our power plant as a valued member of the community.

Four employees from ERE participated in the Ichinohe Festival held in the town of Ichinohe in Iwate Prefecture. The Ichinohe Festival celebrates the Yasaka and Inari shrines, featuring a mikoshi (portable shrine) procession, traditional performances including the Nesori Deer Dance (designated as one of Iwate Prefecture’s Intangible Folk Cultural Properties), and five elaborately decorated handmade floats parading through town. ERE employees helped at the new water stations set up along the route this year, which allowed them to interact with local participants in the mikoshi procession and dance performances. We are honored to have played a small but meaningful role in supporting this important annual festival.

On Sunday, August 26, an ENEOS Sunflowers basketball clinic sponsored by ERE was held in the town of Otaki in Chiba Prefecture. On the day of the event, 30 elementary school students and 25 middle and high school students from the surrounding area participated in a challenging but enjoyable two-hour training session led by three former Sunflowers players. Seeing the students so excited and practicing so working hard was quite remarkable. After practice, the children enjoyed rice balls made with rice grown by local basketball team players and fresh gelato from a local dairy farm, which our company provided. Seeing their smiling faces reaffirmed our commitment to supporting children’s futures and promoting sports in the community.

The Global Offshore Wind Summit-Japan, Japan’s leading offshore wind power event aimed at harnessing the country’s vast offshore wind potential and robust industrial infrastructure, was held in Sapporo on September 3rd and 4th.

Power producers, turbine manufacturers, construction companies, and the financial institutions providing funding took the stage to present their projects, the importance of wind power, and their visions for the future. Our offshore wind power division representatives participated in a panel discussion on “Industry Challenges Associated with Offshore Wind Expansion,” which generated such engaging discussion that it ran over its scheduled time.

We are committed to expanding renewable energy operations, including offshore wind power, to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality.

ERE held morning and afternoon tours of the wind turbines at JRE Miyagi Kami Wind Farm, welcoming a total of 30 participants. The tours were organized at the request of the town of Kami for local residents and included facility explanations and Q&A sessions.

Over roughly two hours, participants had the opportunity to take photos of the turbines and ask our staff questions. We believe they found the experience worthwhile.

Going forward, we will continue to prioritize safe and stable operations while contributing as a member of the community.

We made a donation to the Council of Social Welfare in the village of Kunohe, one of the areas where our JRE Oritsumedake South 1 Wind Farm is located. A portion of the donation will go toward purchasing a portable air conditioner for the Childcare Salon, a meeting space for parents with young children, making it a comfortable place to play even in the height of summer. It will also be used to fund vehicle replacement for the adult day care centers’ transportation service.

We are committed to helping build a community where everyone—from children to seniors and those with disabilities—can live comfortably.

The very first Kodomo Mannaka (Children in the Middle) Festival, hosted by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Sakata, was held at Nakamachi Mall and Health Plaza in Sakata's Nakamachi shopping district. Among 21 participating organizations, we ran a pinwheel booth offering paper pinwheels to visitors.

Despite the rainy weather, it was a lively event, drawing around 800 attendees. At our booth, we enjoyed talking and interacting with the children, who proudly showed their parent their handmade windmills, spinning them in the indoor breeze.

According to visitor surveys, many attendees look forward to the event being held again next year. Visitors praised our booth, saying they enjoyed taking photos and making pinwheels with their children.

We will continue to cherish these connections going forward, hand-in-hand with the community.

Representatives from the Northern Iwate Regional Development Bureau visited our JRE Oritsumedake South 1 Wind Farm to tour the wind turbines.

Our group staff responded to various questions from visitors such as how the wind turbines were transported, their power generation capacity per rotation, and operation speeds.

We will continue to focus on maintaining local connections and harmony with the community, striving to earn local support.

We exhibited at the Cassiopeia Environmental Festival, held at Ninohe Civic Center. This event promotes environmental awareness and helps pass down the lessons from the illegal dumping incidents along the Iwate-Aomori border to future generations. Participating municipalities from northern Iwate were Ninohe, Karumai, Kunohe, Ichinohe, and former Joboji—collectively known as the “Cassiopeia Federation.”

Our booth featured company information panels and brochures, along with our special edition Rurubu guide “A Town with Natural Energy” (covering Ninohe, Ichinohe, and Kunohe in Iwate Prefecture), published in collaboration with JTB. We also offered a hands-on activity making wind turbines from plastic bottles using candy as blades, which attracted many visitors. In addition, we gave a presentation about the renewable energy business and our own initiatives during the corporate case study session held alongside the festival.

Through interactions with visitors, our staff gained a deeper appreciation for renewable energy’s appeal and our community connections over the two-day event. We remain committed to working alongside the community as a local partner.

ERE participated in the Ohara Hadaka Festival, also known as the Naked Man Festival, held September 23rd and 24th in Isumi, Chiba.

This festival, which has a long history dating back to the Edo period, is held to pray for bountiful harvests and abundant fish catches.

On the day of the festival, 18 mikoshi (portable shrines) from around the port town are carried by bare-chested men running through the streets, sometimes tossing them high in the air, and even carrying them into the sea—a remarkable spectacle! The festival concludes with the emotional “Grand Farewell Ceremony,” where the seafaring men share touching moments of parting with their fellow participants.

ERE participated with a team of nine carriers and nine support members, walking and running throughout the two-day event. As this was our second year participating, we feel we’ve strengthened our bonds with local residents.

We remain committed to working hand-in-hand as a member of the community.

Thirteen second-year students from Shinmachi Junior High School in the city of Takasaki in Gunma visited our company for a presentation by our staff. The students were studying SDGs in their integrated learning curriculum, and those who visited showed particular interest in renewable energy, one of the topics they were learning about. The lecture covered the renewable energy industry’s environment and challenges, introduced our business operations, and employees working in power plant development and operations discussed the work they do. The students asked a variety of questions, including about projected increases in worldwide demand for renewable energy, demonstrating their deep interest in the field.

We will continue to promote understanding of renewable energies and support education for future generations.

ERE co-sponsored the Morotsuka Health and Ikigiai Festival organized by the Morotsuka Village Social Welfare Council. At the event, we screened a promotional video featuring the Nakakyushu Onitayama Wind Farm and provided an explanation of our community engagement initiatives.

At the venue, we provided health monitoring equipment for participants to use, including devices for measuring vascular age and vegetable consumption levels. These devices attracted long lines of curious participants, demonstrating the attendees’ keen interest in health-related matters.

This was ERE’s first time co-sponsoring and participating in an event held by this council. We look forward to actively fostering connections with community members through the festival in the coming years.

Three employees from the ERE Group participated in this year's Hachimoriyama Wind Farm Marathon, a unique event that takes runners on a course winding through our JRE Tsuruoka Hachimoriyama Wind Farm.

Jointly organized by the Sanze Physical Education Association and Sanze District Community Association, the event featured a challenging 3-kilometer circuit course. Runners supported each other throughout the race, cheered on by enthusiastic staff and spectators. Runners representing the ERE Group had a particularly strong showing, with two team members earning places on the podium.

As a corporate member of the local community, ERE remains committed to growing alongside our neighbors and supporting regional initiatives like this one.

Sanze, a community in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, is home to Hyakunen Mori [“Hundred-Year Woods”], a magnificent century-old cedar forest. Although the forest welcomes approximately 1,000 visitors throughout the year, it has until now been equipped with only temporary toilets, which was a bottleneck in attracting visitors. The new biomass toilet facility will help increase the number of visitors, potentially playing a significant role in broader plans to revitalize the surrounding area.

Local community association chairpersons and staff from nearby nursery schools attended the presentation ceremony. The biomass toilet was highlighted as a practical demonstration of a recycling-oriented society, and visitors who tried the facility commented positively on how comfortable it was to use.

A newspaper article about the presentation ceremony appeared in the Shonai Nippo on October 19, 2024.
→ Article here

ERE employees volunteered to help with disaster recovery efforts in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture, following the record-breaking rainfall that struck the region on July 25 this year.

This was our third time sending volunteers to assist areas affected by the flooding. We focused our efforts on Aosawa District, one of the city’s hardest-hit areas.

Volunteers encountered a serious situation where mud from the hillside behind houses had cascaded into the crawl spaces beneath them. Most of our work involved helping remove this mud. The crawl spaces were completely filled, which would have been nearly impossible for residents to handle on their own. This experience really drove home for employees just how important volunteer work can be.

Our thoughts remain with the affected communities as we hope for their swift recovery and reconstruction.

ERE Managing Executive Officer Kiyoshi Doi took part in Japan Wind Energy 2024, an international wind power industry event held at Bellesalle Shibuya Garden.

At the event, Mr. Doi took part in a panel discussion titled "Exploring the Offshore Wind Potential in Asia: New Opportunities and Challenges," where he discussed the current state and future outlook of offshore wind power generation in the Asian region together with representatives from leading industry companies. As ERE serves as the lead corporate partner for a joint venture developing offshore wind power project off the coast of Happo Town and Noshiro City in Akita Prefecture, Mr. Doi shared his insights and experiences from a developer's perspective, which drew significant interest from the audience.

On September 28, ERE sponsored “Art Project: Living with the Wind,” a community event held in Morotsuka Village, Miyazaki Prefecture in collaboration with General incorporated association HACHI HACHI, a private-sector community development organization. The event drew 20 participants, including local elementary school students, parents, and village officials.

The program began with a tour of ERE’s Nakakyushu Onitayama Wind Farm. Participants were given guided access to the ground floor of the wind turbine tower, where they learned about wind power generation. The second half featured an art workshop where participants created dyed artwork using local plants, exploring the themes of wind, vegetation, and light. This creative activity helped forge links between the community and the wind farm.

The artwork from the workshop was later exhibited in a gallery space at BECK'S Coffee Shop in JR Takadanobaba Station, Tokyo, from October 17 to November 7, helping to raise awareness about both Morotsuka Village and ERE.

An ERE employee delivered a presentation at “What You Can Do for Carbon Neutrality,” a seminar organized by the Carbon Neutrality Committee of the Sakata Junior Chamber and hosted at the Bernard Sakata venue in Sakata City. The event aimed to promote understanding of carbon neutrality.

Drawing approximately 20 participants, the presentation explained what carbon neutrality means for achieving a decarbonized society, addressing global trends, Japan's targets and initiatives, the necessity of renewable energy, and practical steps that can be taken by businesses and individual citizens.

The event included candid discussions with the environmentally conscious participants, who live in a region actively promoting renewable energy. The Q&A session included discussions about why the J-Credit system* hasn’t achieved wider adoption and whether offshore wind power could be combined with blue carbon. The event provided an opportunity for individual members to reflect on their own role in achieving a decarbonized society.

In the post-event survey conducted by the Sakata Junior Chamber, all participants indicated they had deepened their understanding of the topic. Responses were positive, with participants noting that while they had previously lacked awareness of environmental issues, they now felt motivated to take action for future generations, showing that the seminar was a great success.

ERE remains committed to contributing in various ways toward realizing a carbon-neutral society.

*J-Credit System: A Japanese government program that issues transferable credits for both CO₂ reduction achievements and CO₂ absorption through proper forest management activities. This year, ERE purchased J-Credits from the Mimikawa Koiki Forest Owners’ Cooperative Association to offset our CO₂ emissions (Scope 1) for FY2023. For more details, please see our press release(https://www.eneos-re.com/news/pdf/news_20240701_E.pdf).

ERE provided support for “Global Wind Day,” an awareness-raising event for wind power generation organized by Kitakyushu City, by offering tours of our Hibikinada Wind Energy Research Park.

The event attracted approximately 150 participants despite the rainy weather. Five wind power-related companies from Kitakyushu City, including ERE, provided explanations about their respective fields. ERE gave presentations on wind turbine power generation mechanisms and provided tours of the facility. Although thunderstorms meant that participants had to view the wind turbines from inside the buses, this did not deter the children from asking many enthusiastic questions for members of our staff to answer.

ERE remains committed to actively working toward promoting understanding of renewable energy and supporting education for future generations.

Shika Fest brings together students and local communities affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, aiming to nurture regional pride and develop students’ problem-solving abilities through planning and managing events that aim to revitalize the area. This was the third instance of the event, which was hosted by Ishikawa Prefectural Shika High School in collaboration with affected communities.

This marked ERE’s first time participating in the event, working together with four high school students to run a hands-on booth teaching visitors how to make pinwheels from plastic bottles. The students showed excellent initiative in operating the booth, enthusiastically engaging with visitors and guiding children through the pinwheel-making process.

As Shika Town continues to deal with the aftermath of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, all our employees were deeply inspired by this positive collaboration with the young people who will become the leaders of tomorrow.

We look forward to strengthening our ties with the local community and contributing to the creation of a sustainable future.

ERE participated in the Ichinohe Industrial Festival, which was held at the Ichinohe Town Community Center in Iwate Prefecture. At the invitation of Ichinohe Town, ERE took part in the event for the first time this year with a paper pinwheel crafting booth. As the only workshop-style booth at the festival, the activity attracted many visitors and was extremely well-received.

We were also pleased to reconnect with individuals we met while helping with the Ichinohe Festival in August. Being able to return for the Industrial Festival gave our employees a meaningful opportunity to experience their connection with local community members.

Our company remains committed to nurturing these ongoing relationships with the local community and looks forward to making further progress together with everyone.

ERE held a signing ceremony on October 29 to mark the conclusion of a comprehensive partnership agreement with Hirado City aimed at promoting local community development and enhancing citizen services. For further details, please refer to the press release* issued on October 30.

Hirado City Mayor Kuroda, Vice Mayor Matsuda, and Ikitsuki Branch Manager Ikeda attended the ceremonies, which included both the partnership signing and the presentation of school backpacks and notebooks featuring educational content to two students from Ikitsuki Town and their parents. This year’s educational notebooks feature a newly added section introducing the various municipalities that are home to ERE’s power plants. The Year 1 notebook presents information about Hirado City, where our JRE Hirado Ikitsuki Wind Farm operates.

In the coming years, we expect to see an acceleration of sustainability initiatives across Japan. As our society moves in this direction, ERE aims to promote a variety of initiatives to become the renewable energy provider of choice for local communities.

*https://www.eneos-re.com/news/pdf/news_20241030_E.pdf

On October 29, Noboru Takaesu, Executive Vice President of ENEOS Renewable Energy Management appeared on a special radio program titled “Winds of Oritsume: Wind Power Projects in the Cassiopeia Federation” on Cassiopeia FM, a radio station serving the local area where our JRE Oritsumedake South 1 Wind Farm operates, including Ninohe City, Ichinohe Town, and Kunohe Village.

The program’s host, Takahiro Takashita, began the interview with an overview of ERE’s presentation from September’s Cassiopeia Environmental Festival, followed by a Q&A session to address various listener inquiries. Listeners raised numerous questions, including why Mount Oritsume was selected for the project, whether there were concerns about malfunctions or collapse, what environmental considerations were being taken, and ERE’s approach to community engagement. Executive VP Takaesu offered detailed responses to each question.

Our company looks forward to maintaining open lines of communication with local residents as we strive to run a power plant that is valued by the community.

Left: Program host Takahiro Takashita; Right: Executive VP Takaesu

The Kunohe Village Industry, Arts and Cultural Festival is held as an annual autumn event bringing together the local industry, arts, and culture of Kunohe Village, Iwate Prefecture. This year, seven ERE Group employees participated to assist in the management of the event.

The JRE Oritsumedake South 1 Wind Farm is involved in various local events. This engagement provides our employees with a real sense that local residents are gaining a wider and better understanding of ERE.

As a fellow member of the community, ERE will continue to contribute to local communities in various forms and will endeavor to gain greater familiarity among residents.

An ERE staff member participated as a panelist in the Solar Week 2024 Symposium on Solar Power Generation hosted by the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association (JPEA).(Click here for Solar Week HPE2024 Seminar Website)

The theme of the symposium was “The Future of the Electric Power Market under Market Integration and Maximizing the Use of Renewable Energy.” Discussions covered a broad range of issues, including the state of the market and the role to be played by renewable energy developers as progress is made toward integrating renewable energy into the electricity market.

In addition to the expected impact of the introduction of simultaneous markets, our staff member contributed to the panel with discussions on market requirements for maximizing the use of possible combinations of renewable energy and storage batteries, and the need to actualize the value of renewable energy that is currently buried (taking into account the time-value of non-fossil fuels and the qualitative value of harmonious co-existence with local communities).

Lively discussions ensued with many questions received from the floor. The symposium reinforced our awareness of the need, as a leading company in the renewable energy field, to contribute to opening up a new age and remaining unwaveringly committed to the responsibility of supporting the electric power system.

The 3rd Hirado Eco Festival was held in Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture, with the aim to promote experiential learning in areas related to environmental issues and ecology.

Marking our first participation in the Hirado Eco Festival, ERE introduced the company and its JRE Hirado Ikitsuki Wind Farm through panel displays and a booth for making pinwheels from plastic bottles. The event provided ERE with a valuable opportunity to interact with more than 300 local residents.

ERE signed a Comprehensive Partnership Agreement with Hirado City on October 29, 2024*. As a member of the community, we look forward to working closely with Hirado City in promoting various types of activities for contributing to the local community. ERE will continue to endeavor to establish itself as a trusted and familiar presence in the community through related initiatives.

*https://www.eneos-re.com/news/pdf/news_20241030_E.pdf

The Ikitsuki Isana Festival, a traditional autumn event of Ikitsuki Island in Nagasaki Prefecture, was held in various venues located in Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture, including the Ikitsuki Town Development Center, the Ikitsuki Branch of Hirado City Hall and its plaza, and the Ikitsuki Town Central Community Center. The JRE Hirado Ikitsuki Wind Farm has been in operation in Hirado City since April 2024.

Various locally produced agricultural and fishery products were served at the venues, which were crowded with many visitors. For its part, ERE organized a children’s workshop for making pinwheels. The children broke out in smiles when their pinwheels began to spin rapidly in the wind from an electric fan. The workshop was a major success with some children excitedly making several pinwheels to take home.

Cherishing the smiles of the children and treasuring the ties with the local community, ERE will continue its engagement in these activities in the future.

ERE was invited by the Yamairagawa Neighborhood Association to enjoy performances of Yamato Noh and Yamairagawa Kabuki. Yamairagawa is located near the JRE Tsuruoka Hachimoriyama Wind Farm. The two traditional theater performances are registered as “Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Properties” by Yamagata Prefecture, and dedication performances are offered at the annual festival held on May 3 and the autumn festival held on November 23 every year.

Following the performances attended by large crowds, this year again ERE Group employees were invited to the after-performance party (naorai*) held in benefit of the performers. This year, the ERE employees were also given the special opportunity to witness the “closing ceremony” (intermediate closing ceremony), which is normally open only to an inner circle of residents.

ERE will continue to value such opportunities for deepening our ties with local communities and residents

Naorai: Feast at which food and drink offerings made to a shrine are shared by participants.

ERE presented Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, with notebooks featuring educational content and corporate hometown tax donations. The presentation ceremony was attended by six city officials, including Mayor Ono, Deputy Mayor Hiramatsu, and Education Superintendent Takahashi.

On August 5, 2024, ERE signed a Comprehensive Partnership Agreement with Kamaishi City for cooperating in the spread of renewable energy power plants and the achievement of harmonious co-existence and renaissance in Kamaishi City*. The Agreement is designed to contribute to the realization of the city’s “Renewable Energy Vision” aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The presentation of notebooks featuring educational content and corporate hometown tax donations represents the first local contribution action based on the goal of “promoting sustainable city development” as set forth in the Agreement.

ERE is committed to engaging in community development and the realization of a sustainable future through its Agreement with Kamaishi City.

*https://www.eneos-re.com/news/pdf/news_20240806_E.pdf?001