A Number of Japanese Companies have been entering the Solar Energy Market following in the footsteps of Japanese solar leaders like Sharp,Kyocera,Mitsubishi and others.Toshiba was a surprising entrant  into the Solar EPC market with a solar plant planned in Easter Europe.Now Mitsui Engineering and Shipping,one of Japan’s huge zaibatsus is planning a foray into the solar energy market as well.The Company is being supported in its initiative by METI which will collaborate with the Tunisian government in setting up a combined gas solar hybrid plant.A 5 MW Solar CSP plant will be set up by 2013 to demonstrate the technology.

Note Tunisia is one of the countries in North Africa which would stand to benefit if the Desertec Project comes to fruition and could potentially see many gigawatts of Solar Thermal Capacity.Note Europeans are the main forces behind the ambitious Desertec project with a few American ones like First Solar . Japan is probably trying to capture a piece of the pie by pushing one of its giant engineering conglomerates to establish a foothold in the North African Solar CSP market.

Mitsui Engineering plans Tunisia solar plant: sources

Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co plans to build a solar power plant in Tunisia, targeting a desert solar energy market dominated by European firms, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Mitsui Engineering aims to build a tower-type concentrated solar power plant (CSP) with 5 megawatts capacity in El Borma in southern Tunisia, following a feasibility study planned early next year, under a joint project of the Japanese and Tunisian governments, said the sources, who requested anonymity because Mitsui Engineering’s selection for the project has not yet been announced.