Toho Co., Ltd. and JERA Co., Inc., pursuing efforts aimed at eliminating CO₂ emissions from electricity consumed at Toho Studios, Japan’s largest movie studio, hereby announce that JERA has, through its subsidiary JERA Cross, begun supplying H₂-generated power to Toho Studios.

This is Japan’s first commercial use of electricity generated with H₂-fired zero-emissions thermal (as of today, according to research by JERA).

Toho, which operates in the entertainment sector centered on cinema, and JERA, which drives pioneering efforts to eliminate CO₂ emissions from the energy sector, have been pursuing initiatives to achieve 24/7 carbon-free energy starting in fiscal 2024 as part of their efforts to eliminate CO₂ emissions from power consumption at Toho Studios.

JERA has been moving forward with construction of an onsite H₂ power generation facility at Sodegaura Thermal Power Station (Sodegaura City, Chiba). With the recent conclusion of construction and test operation, JERA Cross has begun supplying off-site electricity to Toho Studios, where commercial use of electricity generated with H₂-fired zero-emissions thermal began today. In addition to H₂ power generation, Toho Studios has also introduced electricity sourced from JERA solar power generation facilities and, going forward, aims to supply all its electricity needs with 24/7 carbon-free energy.

Toho and JERA will draw up a roadmap for eliminating CO₂ emissions from power consumption at Toho Studios and, by reducing CO₂ emissions through the phased adoption of carbon-free energy leading ultimately to 24/7 carbon-free energy, open new possibilities for a sustainable global environment.

The current initiative continues efforts by the two companies to achieve a sustainable society.

Hiro MATSUOKA, President and CEO, Toho Co., Ltd. said, “In cooperation with JERA, Toho Studios has successfully launched an initiative to use carbon-free energy that leverages cutting-edge technology.”

We believe achieving carbon-free film and video production that takes the global environment into account is one of our social responsibilities as an entertainment company.

Going forward, we will continue to drive the decarbonization of our industry with the ultimate goal to produce our films and creative content using clean, 24/7 zero-emissions energy as we work to inspire our customers around the world.”

Yukio KANI, Global CEO and Chair, JERA Co., Ltd. said, “We are delighted to mark the first commercial use of H₂-fired zero-emissions thermal power generation in Japan, and grateful to Toho for providing us with the opportunity. Toho’s effort to achieve film and video production using 100% carbon-free energy is a groundbreaking project for decarbonization of the entertainment industry. To achieve this goal, in addition to zero-emissions thermal power, JERA also aims to provide 24/7 carbon-free energy by combining renewable energy with the latest digital technology.”

In this initiative, diverse teams are engaging in open debate to challenge new value creation together with Toho, making it a project that encapsulates the JERA mission. We will continue to provide cutting-edge solutions to the world’s energy issues.”