Page 8 - AsiaElec Week 11 2021

AsiaElec COAL-FIRED GENERATION AsiaElec

JERA files plans to build 1,300 MW

of gas-fired capacity at Chita

JAPAN JAPAN’S JERA has submitted environmental natural gas (LNG).
impact assessments to regulators for the con- JERA currently generates 30% of Japan’s elec-
struction of Units 7 and 8 at the Chita thermal tricity and is a major user of LNG, coal and oil as
power station. fuel, all of which is imported.
The work involves decommissioning Units 1 JERA, which is a joint venture of Tokyo Elec-
to 5 at the site and building two new units, which tric and Chubu Electric, is also opening new coal
will use high-efficiency combined cycle power power plants. In January, its subsidiary Hitachi-
generation systems, which have a thermal effi- naka Generation began commercial operations
ciency of 63%. at the 650-MW coal-fired Hitachinaka thermal
JERA submitted the plans to the country’s power plant (TPP), which uses ultra-supercriti-
Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry cal coal technology.
(METI) as well as local officials in Aichi Prefec- Supercritical coal technology and efficient gas
ture and the cities of Chita and Tokai, as called technology offers lower emissions that older gen-
for by the Environmental Impact Assessment erating plants, such as at Chita 1-5, but it is still
Law and Electricity Business Act. fossil fuel technology and the Japanese govern-
The new 650-MW units will also have to meet ment has been under significant global pressure
more stringent smoke and warm wastewater to end new coal and gas development.
rules. Coal and gas use recovered after the Fukush-
The legal requirements for gas-fired plants are ima nuclear disaster, which took place 10 years
being imposed as Japan aims to reduce its CO2 ago this month.
emissions and to create a low-carbon economy. Fossil fuels still account for 80% of Japan’s
JERA said in the documents how it will carry electricity production, according to 2020 gov-
out a full environmental impact assessment. The ernment figures.
plans will now be put out for public review for Japan aims to have 24% of its electricity deriv-
a period of 30 days. The two new units will use ing from renewables by 2030.™
imported LNG as fuel, powered by liquefied

GAS-FIRED GENERATION

Tokyo Gas launches new gas pipeline

JAPAN JAPANESE utility Tokyo Gas has brought a new development was part of its Compass 2030 busi-
high-pressure natural gas pipeline online that ness plan that aimed to ensure stable energy
connects the Ibaraki Prefecture cities of Hitachi supply through co-operation with local govern-
and Kamisu. ments and infrastructure providers.
The company said on March 11 that the 92.6- Although Tokyo Gas has set out plans to ramp
km line had commenced service on March 1, up its investment in renewable energy solutions
ahead of the start-up of commercial operations over the next decade, the company is still set on
of a second LNG tank at the Hitachi LNG ter- developing its LNG interests.
minal on March 10. The tank has a capacity of The utility formed an LNG trading unit – TG
230,000 kilolitres, similar to the first. Global Trading – in September 2020 in order to
Tokyo Gas said: “By connecting a loop of expand its LNG trading volume from a zero base
high-pressure gas pipelines and increasing to 5mn tonnes by 2030.
the capacity of LNG tanks in the North Kanto Tokyo Gas announced earlier this week that
area in addition to the Tokyo area, Tokyo Gas it had also formed a carbon neutral LNG (CNL)
has achieved improved supply stability and buyers’ alliance with 14 other companies, includ-
enhanced gas transmission capacity through a ing the likes of Asahi Group, Isuzu Motors and
mutual backup system of four LNG terminals.” Sakai Chemical Industry.
The four terminals include Hitachi LNG as Tokyo Gas said on March 9 that the alliance
well as Negishi LNG and Ohgishima LNG in aimed to expand the use of CNL in line with the
Kanagawa Prefecture and Sodegaura LNG in government’s stated goal of achieving net-zero
Chiba Prefecture. carbon emissions by 2050.™
The company said the infrastructure

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