EVs have become an important means of transportation for tourists in Himeshima Village, a remote island in the northern part of Oita Prefecture (October)
In mid-November, T-PLAN (Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture), a startup that deals with charging facilities using solar power generation, launched a "decarbonized means of transportation ( Mobility)" to start a survey for commercialization. Based on a contract with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In Palau, the service will be established as an easy-to-use service for tourists and islanders.
T-PLAN aims to export to Palau a renewable energy self-sufficiency model established on Himeshima Island (Himeshima Village, Oita Prefecture) in the north of the Kunisaki Peninsula.
About 2 hours from the center of Oita City by JR limited express, route bus, and village ferry. Himeshima Village is located within the Setonaikai National Park, and the Himeshima obsidian production area has been designated as a national natural monument. Tourists who come here for the dishes that allow you to fully enjoy farmed tiger prawns, a specialty of the village, and the chestnut tiger butterflies that fly to the island on long-distance journeys are also notable. EVs come in handy when traveling around the island, which is less than 20 kilometers in circumference.
Electricity used by EVs is covered by "blue sky outlet" (October, Himeshima village, Oita prefecture)
In Himeshima Village, T-PLAN has been at the center of the EV rental business "eco-tourism" since 2015. The company's "Aozora Outlet", which is a carport (covered garage), solar power generation equipment, and storage charging equipment, is used to cover the electricity used by about 30 EVs and electric scooters in total. EVs range from 1-seater to 7-seater. Some trucks have workcation spaces in the bed.
“We will establish a renewable energy self-sufficiency model and support the realization of a sustainable decarbonized society.” With this vision, President Mitsuru Terashita has been promoting the ecotourism business in his hometown. In 2019, he won the Grand Prix of the Minister of the Environment, the highest award, at the Low Carbon Cup, which recognizes outstanding regional activities aimed at preventing global warming. According to Himeshima Village's Fisheries, Tourism, Commerce and Industry Division, "it is growing into an important means of transportation for sightseeing on the island."
Palau paid attention to this “Himeshima model”. The ambassador to Japan visited Himeshima Village for inspection, and there was a lot of interest in it. Adopted in 2021 and contracted in October 2022.
T-PLAN was established in 2006. It is a start-up company with sales of 200 million yen in the term ending February 2022. Oita Venture Capital (Oita City), which is affiliated with Oita Bank, has also invested in a startup development and support fund formed in 2008 with companies in the prefecture. Although the original business was dispatching engineers to automobile manufacturers, etc., we have also focused on the business of developing and disseminating solar power charging equipment.
President Terashita (September, Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture)
The origin of the initiative is the nuclear power plant accident caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. President Terashita has experience of being dispatched to the nuclear power division of a general electronics manufacturer.
President Terashita himself will be in charge of the Palau business. He also decided on local partners such as travel agencies. First, he brings in two EVs and spends about eight months researching local regulations and mobility needs. For the survey, we also obtained the cooperation of Oita Bank, which we do business with, and specially appointed associate professor Mayo Mieno of the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Public Policy, who is an expert in tourism and regional transportation.
Palau is about the size of Yakushima in Kagoshima Prefecture. It is equivalent to about 70 times the speed of Himeshima, but President Terashita predicts, "If it is a two-seater, it will run 80 to 100 kilometers on a single full charge, so there will be no practical problems."
Even after completing the survey, it is necessary to elaborate a business plan through demonstration activities. It is estimated that it will take up to five years to realize this, but President Terashita is enthusiastic, saying, "I want to spread the 'culture' of ecotourism and help island nations facing challenges such as rising sea levels and energy self-sufficiency due to global warming." there is (Tetsushi Matsuo)
