Etrion Corp. (ETX.TO), a solar independent power producer, announced a strategic partnership with Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation or "HHT", a subsidiary of Japanese electronics company Hitachi Ltd. (HTHIY.PK)., for the development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of utility-scale solar power plants in Japan.

Etrion and HHT have signed a development agreement and have been working closely together for more than one year to form a joint development team. The partnership is developing a pipeline that is expected to reach at least 100 megawatts-peak or "MWp" of solar power generation facilities under construction or shovel-ready in Japan by 2015.

Both the companies have been providing the key functions required to successfully execute projects, such as local content, relationships with utilities and banks, engineering, procurement and construction, non-recourse project finance as well as operations, maintenance and asset management services. Etrion and HHT plan to start construction of the first solar power plant in 2014.

Japan is one of the largest solar photovoltaic or "PV" markets in the world today with over 15 gigawatts or "GW" of installed capacity. The Japanese government has instituted a strong mandate to increase the use of renewable energy in Japan's energy mix in order to reduce the country's dependence on nuclear power. The government plans to increase the share of renewable energy as a percentage of total power supply from 10% in 2011 to 25-35% by 2030. Japan has a national solar power target of 28 GW by 2020.