Japan’s JERA to launch new gas-fired power plant to avoid electricity shortages

The three new 0.78-GW units replaces the old 1.886 GW power station which consisted of six smaller units and ceased operations in 2018.

Despite the global shift away from fossil fuels to combat climate change, Japan, the world’s fifth-largest CO2 emitter, has recently built new thermal power plants, including coal-fired ones due to difficulties in restarting nuclear power plants that were shut after the 2011 Fukushima disaster and slow adoption of renewable energy.

JERA is launching the 0.78-GW No.1 unit, capable of providing power for about 2 million households, early next month, one month ahead of schedule, to meet increased electricity demand following the recent heat wave.

The station is jointly owned by JERA, Eneos Holdings’s unit, and Kyushu Electric Power. JERA is co-owned by Tokyo Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power.

The installation of advanced turbines — General Electric’s gas turbine and Toshiba’s steam turbines — has increased generation efficiency to 64%, among the world’s highest for gas power, and reduce annual CO2 emissions by 16% compared to the old facilities.

Any additional capacity is welcomed now as Japan has been suffering tight power supply during peak summer and winter demand seasons due to the retirement of many old facilities.

“Launching new units is significant because they provide safe and stable electricity while contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions,” Masataka Sato, president of GOI United Generation, the station’s operator, told reporters.

There is currently no plan to co-fire hydrogen with gas or install a carbon capture storage facility, but the GE turbine is capable of co-firing hydrogen, Sato said, adding the total project cost was about 200 billion yen ($1.3 billion).

“We can’t say how long the new units will operate … it will depend on power demand,” he said.

($1 = 154.2700 yen)