Japanese oil refiner Showa Shell Sekiyu KK (5002.T) said on Monday it would invest 100 billion yen ($1.07 billion) to build a new solar cell plant.
The plant will come on-line in the second half of 2011 with annual capacity of 900 megawatts.
Showa Shell, Japan's fifth-biggest oil company, is boosting investment in solar cells as it chases new revenue streams in alternative energy.