Watami Co (Watami) has announced that it will be building a solar station with Community Wind Power in Hokkaido, a northern island in Japan. The Japanese chain of restaurants will start construction of its 15-megawatt solar station in October and will be completed by the end of November 2014. 

Having developed wind power stations in several areas in northern Japan also with Community Wind Power, the project will be Watami's first utility-scale solar station venture. The project is set to cost a total investment of USD46.1 billion, according to the company's email response to questions from The Nikkei Newspaper.

Community Wind Power, established in February 2001, is a Hokkaido-based company that builds wind-powered developments and delivers operation and maintenance services. Community Wind Power is among the first of its kind that promoted wind as an important energy resource in the Hokkaido region and the rest of the country.

The proposed solar station project will be located on a 25-hectare property in Atsuma.  The solar power plant will then start providing energy to the region as soon as construction is completed.