News & Update

Chodai  have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Equi-Parco Construction Company and Twinpeak Hydro Resources Corporation, both headquartered in Butuan City in Mindanao, the Philippines, and with NiX Co., Ltd., Japanese civil engineering consultant firm having main office in Toyama City, to collaborate with other private companies who is in Toyama City or the city government of Toyama for the low-carbon regional development projects in the Caraga region, Mindanao, the Philippines. The signing ceremony of this MOU took place on the 26th October at the "UN CoE (Specialist Centre of Excellence on PPPs in Local Governments) Local Government Network Event" organized by Toyo University PPP Research Center. At the event, a basic agreement among the three parties of Toyo University PPP Research Center, Toyama City, and Butuan City and a separated MOU for inter-city cooperation between Butuan City and Toyama City have been signed simultaneously. The MOU that was signed by Chodai establishes cooperation among private companies who have main office either in Butuan City or Toyama City and was signed in the presence of Butuan City, Toyama City, and Toyo University PPP Research Center as witness.

Butuan is the primary city of the Caraga Region (Region XIII) located in the northeastern part of Mindanao Island in the Philippines. It has a population of about 350,000 which is about the same size as Toyama City (population of about 410,000). Currently, there is no permanently operating power plant in the Caraga region and promoting the renewable energy development which utilizes the region's local resources without relying on any external fossil fuels will be a key to the leapfrog type development of this region.  Mr. Ronnie Lagnada, the newly elected Mayor of Butuan City, has been leading formerly the way in promoting the development of renewable energy in the region from the perspective of a private company before he elected. He believes that the shortage in power supply is a key factor behind the slow regional economic development. With the election of Mayor Ronnie Lagnada, it is expected that the Butuan city will take the lead in promoting low- carbon regional development in the Caraga region.

In response to the planned developments in the Caraga region mainly in Butuan city, we have already initiated the development of wind power project with support from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). We have also started the development of biomass power project using rice husk as fuel with a view of promoting this kind of model project and spreading it throughout the Caraga region. We are also developing small hydropower projects in North and South areas of the Agusan province. Furthermore, we are aiming to establish a low-carbon industrial park focusing on energy saving equipments and power supply system based on renewable energy resources. This industrial park will create job oppotunities in the region and will produce high-value-added products. Moving forward, we plan to develop our business activities to contribute to the low-carbon regional development by utilizing the abundant know-how of Toyama City, together with NiX Co., Ltd.  whom we signed the MOU, and other private companies with low-carbon technologies and expertise.