LG CNS, an IT service provider under LG Group, has turned a closed golf course in Japan into a major solar energy plant capable of generating 62 gigawatt hours of electricity a year, the company said Thursday.

Located near Mine city of Yamaguchi prefecture, the solar power plant was built on a 27-hole golf course that covers 142 square meters of land, equivalent to 200 football grounds. 

The South Korean company spent 160 billion won ($148.6 million) on the project after breaking ground on November 2016, officials said.

The plant ranks eighth out of 7,000 photovoltaic power stations in Japan in terms of power generation volume. Japan has the third-largest solar energy market, after China and US. The country generates a combined 40 gigawatts of electricity from solar plants.

LG CNS has installed about 170,000 sheets of solar panels and hired around 10,000 workers from the vicinity of Mine city.

The South Korean company established its branch office in Japan five years ago and hired Japanese engineers that specialize in photovoltaic power and civil engineering. The company completed three solar projects before the latest one in Mine city. LG CNS is the only South Korean IT service provider that holds business licenses to construct solar power plants, the company said.

“The Mine solar power plant project will serve as a platform for (LG CNS) to expand its presence in the renewable energy market in Japan, where foreign firms have limited access,” said Ha Tae-seok, vice president of LG CNS’ energy business unit

“By utilizing LG CNS’ energy management system and energy efficiency optimizing technology, the company will expand the proportion of renewable business in and out of the country.”

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)