JERA, JERA Cross And Japan Pack Rice Oga Launch Green Transformation Project For Akita's Food Industry - Renewable Electricity Supply Marks First Step In Decarbonizing Packaged Rice Production

JERA Co., Inc. (JERA), JERA Cross Co., Inc. (JERA Cross) and Japan Pack Rice Oga Co., Ltd. (Japan Pack Rice Oga), today announced the launch of the Packaged Rice Project (the Project), a joint initiative to advance Green Transformation (GX) in Akita Prefecture’s food industry through the decarbonization of packaged rice production. The project aims to contribute to decarbonization efforts across the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors in Akita Prefecture and support the long-term sustainability of the region.

As the first initiative under the Project, JERA Cross today began supplying effectively 100% renewable electricity^*1 to Japan Pack Rice Oga's manufacturing facility in Oga City. The renewable electricity will be used in the manufacturing process, helping to reduce associated carbon emissions and create packaged rice products with greater environmental value. 

Japan’s agricultural sector faces the dual challenge of a declining farming population and growing expectations for lower-carbon food production. Preserving valuable agricultural infrastructure and passing it on sustainably to future generations will require efforts not only to support producers, but also to reduce emissions across the broader food value chain. 
 
Japan Pack Rice Oga, established in 2023, has been exploring ways to decarbonize its packaged rice manufacturing process while enhancing the value of its projects. Through its manufacturing facility, which repurposes the former Noishi Elementary School building in Oga City, the company also seeks to create an environment in which local farmers can continue rice cultivation with confidence and to contribute to the long-term sustainability of agriculture in Akita Prefecture.

The three companies will continue exploring opportunities to expand the use of renewable energy and enhance the environmental value created through the Project. JERA will contribute through the planning of initiatives and coordination among the participating parties, while JERA Cross will support implementation through renewable electricity supply and other tailored decarbonization solutions.

JERA aims to help establish GX as a source of value for businesses and society, enabling sustainable products and services to be appropriately valued, supplied and consumed. JERA Cross, whose mission is to transform decarbonization from a cost into a source of value, provides end-to-end GX support ranging from decarbonization roadmaps and strategies to renewable energy supply including solar PPAs, battery storage and aggregation for demand optimization, and 24/7 carbon-free electricity^*2 through Hourly Matching, which matches generation and consumption on an hourly basis.

Together, the three companies aim to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable, lower-carbon food system while creating new environmental value through collaboration.

^*1: Effectively 100% renewable electricity refers to electricity whose CO_₂ emissions are deemed effectively zero through the use of environmental attributes such as non-fossil certificates.

^*2: 24/7 (twenty-four seven) carbon-free electricity refers to electricity that emits no CO_₂ across all hours of the day, every day of the week — i.e., 365 days a year. In accordance with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry “Guidelines for the Retail Electricity Sales Business,” the term denotes a supply scheme in which 100% of demand electricity is sourced from CO_₂ zero-emission power sources (renewable energy generation facilities, hydrogen generation facilities, etc.) and supplied together with environmental value through the use of non-fossil certificates. It does not signify that no CO_₂ is emitted across the full lifecycle, including fuel production and transportation.