On October 11, 2021, Eneos Holdings Inc., Japan's largest oil refiner, announced it had reached a deal to acquire Japan Renewable Energy (JRE), a renewables developer and operator, for about 200 billion yen ($1.78 billion/EUR 1.55 billion) to expand its low-carbon business.[1] Under the deal, JPE will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eneos in late January 2022. Eneos will buy JRE from the infrastructure arm of U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs and Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC. The agreement is the first big purchase of a renewables firm by a top Japanese oil company.
Founded by Goldman Sachs in 2012, JRE has 708 MW in renewable energy assets, including those under construction on an equity basis. Most of JRE's portfolio consists of solar, onshore wind, and biomass, with some offshore wind projects under development. After the agreement, Eneos' renewable assets will reach 1,220 MW. The deal will enable Eneos to meets its target of having over 1,000 MW of renewables in Japan and abroad by March 2023. The deal will also help Eneos reach its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/eneos-says-buy-japan-renewable-energy-177-bln-2021-10-11/