Difference between revisions of "Japan and coal"

From SourceWatch
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m (Text replacement - "{{#badges:" to "{{Show badges|")
 
(39 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
{{#badges:CoalSwarm|Navbar-Japanandcoal}}
+
{{Show badges|CoalSwarm|Navbar-Japanandcoal}}In 2002 domestic coal production in Japan came to an end, and ever since the country has been totally reliant on imports, overwhelmingly from Australia.<ref>[http://www.eia.gov/cabs/japan/Full.html "Country Analysis: Japan"] EIA, March 2011.</ref> In 2012 Japan was estimated to have imported 133 million tonnes of thermal coal and 53 million tonnes of metallurgical coal for steel production.<ref>Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics, [http://www.bree.gov.au/documents/publications/req/REQ_MAR2013.pdf ''Resources and Energy Quarterly March Quarter 2013''], Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics, March 2013.</ref> The Australian government's resources and energy forecaster, the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics, projects a small decline of less than 1% a year in Japanese thermal coal consumption to 2018 and a small increase in metallurgical coal demand. Japan plans to build many new coal-fired plants.<ref>[http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/05/bucking-global-trends-japan-again-embraces-coal-power ''Science''], Bucking global trends, Japan again embraces coal power, 2 May 2018.</ref>
  
−
==Coal imports==
+
==Thermal power stations==
  
−
The U.S. Geological Survey states that "Coal imports by Japan reached 186 Mt [million tonnes - ed] in 2007, which was an increase of 5.2% compared with those of 2006. Of the total, thermal coal accounted for 54%; coking coal, 43%; and anthracite, 3%. Coking coal imports increased by only 0.4% to 80 Mt whereas thermal coal imports increased by 10.2% to 101 Mt. Imports from Australia, which accounted for 61% of the total tonnage, increased by 9.8% to 113 Mt and those from Indonesia, which accounted for 18% of the total, increased by 3.5% to 33 Mt. Imports from China, which accounted for 8% of the total, however, decreased by 26.7% to 15 Mt.<ref name="USGS">Chin S. Kuo,  [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2007/myb3-2007-ja.pdf "The Mineral Industry of Japan"], U.S. Geological Survey, April 2009, page 6.</ref>
+
===Proposed coal-fired power stations===
  
−
According to the U.S. EIA: "[Japanese] domestic coal production came to an end in 2002 and Japan imported 182 million short tons [of coal] in 2009, for which Australia was the main supplier."<ref>[http://www.eia.gov/cabs/japan/Full.html "Country Analysis: Japan"] EIA, March 2011.</ref>
+
{{#display_points:
 +
37.232652, 141.013799~[[Hirono power station]];
 +
37.232652, 141.013799~[[Hirono power station]];
 +
37.232652, 141.013799~[[Hirono power station]];
 +
36.4368, 140.6138~[[Hitachinaka power station]];
 +
36.4368, 140.6138~[[Hitachinaka power station]];
 +
33.3552, 129.6925~[[Matsuura power station]];
 +
34.7797, 131.9215~[[Misumi power station]];
 +
40.1912, 139.9911~[[Noshiro power station]];
 +
34.3373, 132.9572~[[Takehara power station]];
 +
37.4230018, 141.0329103~[[TEPCO Coal Project]];
 +
37.4230018, 141.0329103~[[TEPCO Coal Project]]
 +
|width=550
 +
|height=550
 +
|zoom=5
 +
|type=terrain}}
 +
'''''Columns may be sorted by clicking on the headers.'''''
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 +
! Unit
 +
! Plant
 +
!Company
 +
!MW
 +
!Status
 +
!Prefecture
 +
|-
 +
| Hirono power station Unit 6||[[Hirono power station]]||Tokyo Electric Power Company||600||Operating (2013)||Fukushima
 +
|-
 +
| Hirono power station Unit 7||[[Hirono power station]]||Tokyo Electric Power Company||600||Pre-permit development||Fukushima
 +
|-
 +
| Hirono power station Unit 8||[[Hirono power station]]||Tokyo Electric Power Company||600||Pre-permit development||Fukushima
 +
|-
 +
| Hitachinaka power station Unit 2||[[Hitachinaka power station]]||Tokyo Electric Power Company||1000||Operating||Ibaraki
 +
|-
 +
| Hitachinaka power station Unit 3||[[Hitachinaka power station]]||Tokyo Electric Power Company||600||Announced||Ibaraki
 +
|-
 +
| Matsuura power station Unit 3||[[Matsuura power station]]||Kyushu Electric Power Company||1000||Announced||Nagasaki
 +
|-
 +
| Misumi Unit 2||[[Misumi power station]]||Chugoku Electric Power Company||400||Planning||Shimane
 +
|-
 +
| Noshiro Unit 3||[[Noshiro power station]]||Tohoku Electric Power Company||600||Announced||Akita
 +
|-
 +
| Takehara Unit 4||[[Takehara power station]]||J-POWER||600||Announced||Hiroshima
 +
|-
 +
| TEPCO Coal Project Unit 1||[[TEPCO Coal Project]]||TEPCO Coal Project||500||Announced||Fukushima
 +
|-
 +
| TEPCO Coal Project Unit 2||[[TEPCO Coal Project]]||TEPCO Coal Project||500||Announced||Fukushima
 +
|}
  
−
==Canadian province and Japan ink deal==
 
−
In January 2011, Saskatchewan and Japan signed an agreement to work together on clean coal and carbon capture and storage. The Canadian province and the [[Japan Coal Energy Center]] — which represents more than 100 companies — signed a memorandum of understanding to encourage more co-operation on so-called [[clean coal]] technologies. The province stated the agreement would set the stage for information exchanges and research projects involving scientists and companies in both jurisdictions. The province stated that Japanese investment in Saskatchewan carbon capture and storage projects as a result. Saskatchewan Energy Minister Bill Boyd said the initiative would help industries and utilities reduce their environmental footprints. Saskatchewan is currently Canada's third-largest coal producer and also relies on coal to supply 62 per cent of the province's energy.<ref>[http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/greenpage/environment/saskatchewan-and-japan-agree-to-work-together-on-clean-coal-carbon-capture-114577614.html "Saskatchewan and Japan agree to work together on clean coal, carbon capture"] The Canadian Press, January 25, 2011.</ref>
 
−
 
−
==Thermal power stations==
 
  
 
===Existing coal-fired power stations===
 
===Existing coal-fired power stations===
  
−
In 2011, Japan had about 243 GW of intslled electrical generating capacity of which 73 in early 2012 was from conventional thermal electric generating capacity fired by coal, oil or gas. According to Japan Electric Power Information Center, as of mid-2012 there are 61 thermal power plants, and 6 more are under construction: 3 using natural gas and 3 using coal for generation. Coal accounts for roughly 25 percent of electricity generation in 2010.<ref>[http://www.eia.gov/cabs/japan/Full.html "Country Analysis: Japan"] EIA, June 2012.</ref>
+
In 2011, Japan had about 243 GW of installed electrical generating capacity of which 73GW in early 2012 was from conventional thermal electric generating capacity fired by coal, oil or gas. According to Japan Electric Power Information Center, as of mid-2012, there are 61 thermal power plants, and 6 more are under construction: 3 using natural gas and 3 using coal for generation. Coal accounts for roughly 25 percent of electricity generation in 2010.<ref>[http://www.eia.gov/cabs/japan/Full.html "Country Analysis: Japan"] EIA, June 2012.</ref>
  
−
On its website, the [[Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan]] lists 53 power stations with a capacity of 1,000MW or greater. Of these, 14 are coal-fired and a further two are coal and oil fired stations. Four of the 14 listed coal fired power stations are owned and operated by Electric Power Development Co.,which is commonly referred to by its [[J-POWER]] trading name. J-Power is not a member of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan.<ref>Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, [http://www.fepc.or.jp/english/energy_electricity/location/thermal/index.html "Principal Thermal Power Plants (1,000MW or greater)"], Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, accessed August 2009.</ref>
+
In total, as of 2008, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan listed a total of 74 coal fired generation units.<ref>Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, [http://www.fepc.or.jp/english/environment/asia-pacific/green_handbook_peer/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2008/10/20/chapter1_1.pdf "Summary of thermal power generation in Japan"], Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, November 2007, pages 9-10.</ref>
  
 +
On its website, the [[Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan]] lists 53 power stations with a capacity of 1,000MW or greater. Of these, 14 are coal-fired and a further two are coal and oil fired stations. Four of the 14 listed coal fired power stations are owned and operated by Electric Power Development Co.,which is commonly referred to by its [[J-POWER]] trading name. J-Power is not a member of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan.<ref>Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, [http://www.fepc.or.jp/english/energy_electricity/location/thermal/index.html "Principal Thermal Power Plants (1,000MW or greater)"], Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, accessed August 2009.</ref>
 
The sixteen wholly or partly coal-fired power stations are:
 
The sixteen wholly or partly coal-fired power stations are:
  
Line 23: Line 66:
 
* the 2,000MW [[Haramachi power station]] which is owned by [[Tohoku Power Company]] ;
 
* the 2,000MW [[Haramachi power station]] which is owned by [[Tohoku Power Company]] ;
 
* the 1200MW [[Noshiro power station]] which is owned by the Tohoku Power Company;
 
* the 1200MW [[Noshiro power station]] which is owned by the Tohoku Power Company;
−
* the 3,800MW [[Hirono power station]] which is owned by the [[Tokyo Power Company]]. This power station is fueled by a mix of crude oil, fuel oil and coal.
+
* the 3,800MW [[ Hirono Thermal Power Station]] which is owned by the [[Tokyo Electric Power Company]]. This power station is fueled by a mix of crude oil, fuel oil and coal.
−
* the 1000MW [[Hitachinaka power station]] which is owned by the Tokyo Power Company;
+
* the 1000MW [[Hitachinaka Thermal Power Station]] which is owned by the Tokyo Power Company;
−
* the 4100MW [[Hekinan power station]] which is owned by the [[Chubu Power Company]];
+
* the 4100MW [[Hekinan power station]] which is owned by the [[Chubu Electric Power Company]];
 
* the 1500MW [[Toyama Shinko power station]] which is owned by the [[Hokuriku Power Company]]. This power station is fueled by a mix of crude oil, fuel oil and coal.
 
* the 1500MW [[Toyama Shinko power station]] which is owned by the [[Hokuriku Power Company]]. This power station is fueled by a mix of crude oil, fuel oil and coal.
 
* the 1200MW [[Nanaoota Shinko power station]] which is owned by the Hokuriku Power Company.  
 
* the 1200MW [[Nanaoota Shinko power station]] which is owned by the Hokuriku Power Company.  
Line 41: Line 84:
 
* the [[Ishikawa power station]] comprising two 250MW units which were commissioned in November 1986 and March 1987 respectively;<ref name="JPOWER fleet"/> and
 
* the [[Ishikawa power station]] comprising two 250MW units which were commissioned in November 1986 and March 1987 respectively;<ref name="JPOWER fleet"/> and
 
* the [[Takasago power station]], comprising two 250MW units which were commissioned in July 1968 and January 1969 respectively;<ref name="JPOWER fleet"/>  
 
* the [[Takasago power station]], comprising two 250MW units which were commissioned in July 1968 and January 1969 respectively;<ref name="JPOWER fleet"/>  
−
* [[Sumitomo Metals Kashima power station]]<ref name="USGS"/>
+
* [[Sumitomo Metals Kashima power station]]<ref name="USGS">Chin S. Kuo,  [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2007/myb3-2007-ja.pdf "The Mineral Industry of Japan"], U.S. Geological Survey, April 2009, page 6.</ref>
 +
 
 +
==The impact of the March 2011 Tsunami on Japanese coal plants ==
 +
 
 +
On March 11, 2011 a major earthquake off the east coast of Japan caused a massive tsunami which devastated coastal communities and crippled the Fukushima nuclear reactor. Less well known was that the tsunami also had a major impact on a number of Japan's coal-fired power stations and related infrastructure. Coal-fired power stations damaged by the tsunami and earthquake were:<ref name=TEP>TEPCO, [http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/torikumi/thermal/popup_01.html "Approach 1: Restoration of devastated thermal power station"], TEPCO website, accessed April 2013.</ref> <ref name=Impact>[http://eneken.ieej.or.jp/data/3896.pdf "Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on Coal Thermal Power Generation and Coal Demand"], The Institute of Energy Economics Japan, June 6, 2011.</ref><ref>Masaki Shiratori, [http://www.jaee.gr.jp/event/seminar2012/eqsympo/pdf/papers/135.pdf "Damages of machines and structures in Great East Japan earthquake and Lessons from the disaster"], Proceedings of the International Symposium on Engineering Lessons Learned from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, March 1-4, 2012, Tokyo, Japan, page 146.</ref><ref name=Impact>[http://eneken.ieej.or.jp/data/3896.pdf "Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on Coal Thermal Power Generation and Coal Demand"], The Institute of Energy Economics Japan, June 6, 2011.</ref>
  
−
==Proposed coal-fired power stations==
 
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
−
!'''Country'''
+
!'''Company'''
−
!'''Developer'''
+
!'''Power station'''
−
!'''CARMA ID'''
+
!'''Unit'''
−
!'''Plant'''
+
!'''Capacity'''
−
!'''Status'''
+
!'''Nature of damage'''
−
!'''MW'''
+
!'''Recommissioning date'''
−
!'''Fuel'''
 
−
!Latitude
 
−
!Longitude
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Japan and coal|Japan]]||[[TEPCO]]||17905||[[Hitachinaka Unit 2]]||Under construction||1000||coal||36.436820663263||140.61409950256
+
| [[Tohoko Electric Power Company]]||[[Noshiro Power Station]]||No 1||600||||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Japan and coal|Japan]]||[[TEPCO]]||17868||[[Hirono Unit 6]]||Under construction||600||coal||37.232652||141.013799
+
| [[Tohoko Electric Power Company]]||[[Noshiro Power Station]]||No 2||600||||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Japan and coal|Japan]]||[[J-Power]]||44306||[[Takehara New Unit 1]]||Planning||600||coal||34.337305771317||132.95724034309
+
| [[Tohoko Electric Power Company]]||[[Haramachi Power Station]]||No 1||1000||||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Japan and coal|Japan]]||[[Kyushu Electric Power Company]]||||[[Matsuura Unit 2 (KEPCO)]]||Planning||1000||coal||33.348382906927||129.68253135681
+
| [[Tohoko Electric Power Company]]||[[Haramachi Power Station]]||No 2||1000||||
 +
|-
 +
| [[TEPCO]]||[[Hitachinaka Power Station]]||No 1||1000||coal unloader was broken by the tsunami and collapsed into the sea; the coal conveyor system damaged and the site as a whole subsided||May 15, 2011||
 +
|-
 +
| [[TEPCO]]||[[Hirono Power Station]]||No 5||600||turbine building flooded and debris are scattered widely across the site||July 2011 (the other four oil-fired units were recommissioned the following month)||
 +
|-
 +
| [[Sakata Kyodo Power Company]]||[[Sakata Kyodo Power Station]]||No 1||350||||July 2011||
 +
|-
 +
| [[Sakata Kyodo Power Company]]||[[Sakata Kyodo Power Station]]||No 2||350||||July 2011||
 +
|-
 +
| [[Soma Kyodo Power Company]]||[[Shinchi Power Station]]||No 1||1000||||
 +
|-
 +
| [[Soma Kyodo Power Company]]||[[Shinchi Power Station]]||No 2||1000||||
 +
|-
 +
| [[Joban Joint Power Company]]||[[Nakoso Power Station]]||No 7||250||||
 +
|-
 +
| [[Joban Joint Power Company]]||[[Nakoso Power Station]]||No 8||600||||July 2011||
 +
|-
 +
| [[Joban Joint Power Company]]||[[Nakoso Power Station]]||No 9||600||||July 2011||
 +
|-
 +
| [[Electric Power Development Company]]||[[Isogo Power Station]]||No 1||600||||March 19, 2011<ref> Mari Iwata and Simon Hall, [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704021504576210174248151028.html "Some Coal-Fired Plants Brought Back Online"], ''Wall Street Journal'', March 19, 2011.</ref>
 +
|-
 +
| [[Joban Joint Power Company]]||[[Shinchi Power Station]]||No 9||600||||
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
==The impact of the March 2011 Tsunami on Japanese coal plants ==
+
Toshimi Tsuchiya, director of Chubu Energy Trading Singapore - a subsidiary of [[Chubu Electric Power Company]] - explained in a June 2013 speech at Coaltrans Asia conference that even though only 2 of 48 nuclear units were operating "this situation has not led to an increase in coal consumption.".
 +
 
 +
The reason, he stated, was that "coal-fired generation has always been used as a base load in Japan and therefore even with the loss of generation output via nuclear, there was little room to increase coal-fired generation. A marginal increase in operational rates at coal-fired stations has been off-set by the loss of capacity damaged in the earthquake."<ref name=Toshimi>Toshimi Tsuchiya, director of Chubu Energy Trading Singapore, [http://www.chubuet.com/news/326 "Mr Toshimi Tsuchiya’s speech at Coaltrans Asia"], June 2013.</ref>
 +
 
 +
Tsuchiya stated he believed Japan should build more coal plants but complained that "until now, the largest obstacle in building or expanding coal-fired power plants in Japan was the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Recently, the government announced that they would clarify the EIA criteria and shorten the duration of assessment from three years to a little over one year."
 +
 
 +
While noting that there was increased push for new coal plants in Japan, he stated that due to a determination by utilities to reduce fuel costs "new plants will be designed for lower grade coals."<ref name=Toshimi/>
 +
 
 +
In 2014 it was reported that in the three years since Fukushima, Japan's coal imports had risen 6% and its spending on coal rose 17% to nearly $12 billion annually. Imports of natural gas have risen faster. The government also said it would step up its financial support of "more efficient" coal-fired power plants in developing nations.<ref>[http://online.wsj.com/articles/japan-to-step-up-support-for-overseas-use-of-coal-1406114037?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304521404580046901641700596.html "Japan to Step Up Support for Overseas Use of Coal,"] WSJ, July 23, 2014.</ref>
 +
 
 +
==Canadian province and Japan ink deal==
 +
 
 +
In January 2011, Saskatchewan and Japan signed an agreement to work together on clean coal and carbon capture and storage. The Canadian province and the [[Japan Coal Energy Center]] — which represents more than 100 companies — signed a memorandum of understanding to encourage more co-operation on so-called [[clean coal]] technologies. The province stated the agreement would set the stage for information exchanges and research projects involving scientists and companies in both jurisdictions. The province stated that Japanese investment in Saskatchewan carbon capture and storage projects as a result. Saskatchewan Energy Minister Bill Boyd said the initiative would help industries and utilities reduce their environmental footprints. Saskatchewan is currently Canada's third-largest coal producer and also relies on coal to supply 62 per cent of the province's energy.<ref>[http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/greenpage/environment/saskatchewan-and-japan-agree-to-work-together-on-clean-coal-carbon-capture-114577614.html "Saskatchewan and Japan agree to work together on clean coal, carbon capture"] The Canadian Press, January 25, 2011.</ref>
 +
 
 +
==Japanese overseas coal plant construction projects==
  
−
On March 11, 2011 a major earthquake off the east coast of Japan caused a massive tsunami which devastated coastal communities and crippled the Fukushima nuclear reactor. Less well known was that the tsunami also had a major impact on a number of Japan's coal-fired power stations and related infrastructure. [[TEPCO]],  the owner of the Fukushima nuclear plant, also reported that the tsunami damaged three of its coal fired plants. The [[Hirono Thermal Power Station]], the [[Hitachinaka Thermal Power Station]] and the [[Kashima Thermal Power Station]].<ref>TEPCO, [http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/torikumi/thermal/popup_01.html "Approach 1: Restoration of devastated thermal power station"], TEPCO website, accessed April 2013.</ref>
+
* [[Manjung power station]] (1000 MW) - Malaysia<ref name=sumitomo>[http://www.sumitomocorp.co.jp/english/news/detail/id=27067 "Contract signed for construction of 1,000MW Manjung ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant in Malaysia,"] Sumitomo corporation press release, August 22, 2013</ref>
 +
* [[Project 3B]] (2 x 1000 MW) - Mayalsia<ref name=sumitomo/>
 +
* [[Talin power station]] (3 x 800 MW) - Taiwan<ref name=sumitomo/>
 +
* [[Matarbari power station]] (2 x 660 MW) - Bangladesh
 +
* [[Thai Binh Power Center]] (600 MW + 1200 MW) - Vietnam
  
 
==Articles and Resources==
 
==Articles and Resources==
Line 88: Line 171:
 
* International Energy Agency, [http://www.iea.org/Textbase/stats/coaldata.asp?COUNTRY_CODE=JP&Submit=Submit "Coal in Japan in 2005"], International Energy Agency website, accessed June 2008.
 
* International Energy Agency, [http://www.iea.org/Textbase/stats/coaldata.asp?COUNTRY_CODE=JP&Submit=Submit "Coal in Japan in 2005"], International Energy Agency website, accessed June 2008.
 
* U.S. Geological Survey, [http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/links.html#ja Japan] 1994-2007
 
* U.S. Geological Survey, [http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/links.html#ja Japan] 1994-2007
 +
* Jacob Adelman, [http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-MKZ6TP6K50Z101-54BAJD309RSQOMK300L5290PG5 "Tokyo Electric Boosts Coal Capacity to Cut Need for Costly Oil"], '''Washington Post'',  April 9, 2013.
 +
* Justin Guay, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/justin-guay/fukushima-and-the-japanes_b_3062522.html "Fukushima and the Japanese Coal Myth"], ''Huffington Post'', April 11, 2013.
 +
 +
==External resources==
 +
* [http://sekitan.jp/en/ Don't Go Back to Coal,] website on Japan and coal available in English, by the Kiko Network.
 +
* [http://www.industcards.com/st-coal-japan.htm "Coal-Fired Plants in Japan"], 2010. (This page has details on some of the major coal-fired power stations in Japan.)
 +
* Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry, [http://www.meti.go.jp/english/publications/pdf/journal2013_10a.pdf "Future Coal Fired Thermal Power Generation: Advancing Highly Efficient Technology and Environmental Performance"], METI Journal, November 2013.
  
−
{{Stub}}
 
  
 
[[Category:Energy]]
 
[[Category:Energy]]

Latest revision as of 16:27, 25 December 2019

Coalswarm badge.gif

This article is part of the Coal Issues portal on SourceWatch, a project of Global Energy Monitor and the Center for Media and Democracy. See here for help on adding material to CoalSwarm.

This article is part of the CoalSwarm coverage of Japan and coal.
Sub-articles:

In 2002 domestic coal production in Japan came to an end, and ever since the country has been totally reliant on imports, overwhelmingly from Australia.[1] In 2012 Japan was estimated to have imported 133 million tonnes of thermal coal and 53 million tonnes of metallurgical coal for steel production.[2] The Australian government's resources and energy forecaster, the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics, projects a small decline of less than 1% a year in Japanese thermal coal consumption to 2018 and a small increase in metallurgical coal demand. Japan plans to build many new coal-fired plants.[3]

Thermal power stations

Proposed coal-fired power stations

Columns may be sorted by clicking on the headers.

Unit Plant Company MW Status Prefecture
Hirono power station Unit 6 Hirono power station Tokyo Electric Power Company 600 Operating (2013) Fukushima
Hirono power station Unit 7 Hirono power station Tokyo Electric Power Company 600 Pre-permit development Fukushima
Hirono power station Unit 8 Hirono power station Tokyo Electric Power Company 600 Pre-permit development Fukushima
Hitachinaka power station Unit 2 Hitachinaka power station Tokyo Electric Power Company 1000 Operating Ibaraki
Hitachinaka power station Unit 3 Hitachinaka power station Tokyo Electric Power Company 600 Announced Ibaraki
Matsuura power station Unit 3 Matsuura power station Kyushu Electric Power Company 1000 Announced Nagasaki
Misumi Unit 2 Misumi power station Chugoku Electric Power Company 400 Planning Shimane
Noshiro Unit 3 Noshiro power station Tohoku Electric Power Company 600 Announced Akita
Takehara Unit 4 Takehara power station J-POWER 600 Announced Hiroshima
TEPCO Coal Project Unit 1 TEPCO Coal Project TEPCO Coal Project 500 Announced Fukushima
TEPCO Coal Project Unit 2 TEPCO Coal Project TEPCO Coal Project 500 Announced Fukushima


Existing coal-fired power stations

In 2011, Japan had about 243 GW of installed electrical generating capacity of which 73GW in early 2012 was from conventional thermal electric generating capacity fired by coal, oil or gas. According to Japan Electric Power Information Center, as of mid-2012, there are 61 thermal power plants, and 6 more are under construction: 3 using natural gas and 3 using coal for generation. Coal accounts for roughly 25 percent of electricity generation in 2010.[4]

In total, as of 2008, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan listed a total of 74 coal fired generation units.[5]

On its website, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan lists 53 power stations with a capacity of 1,000MW or greater. Of these, 14 are coal-fired and a further two are coal and oil fired stations. Four of the 14 listed coal fired power stations are owned and operated by Electric Power Development Co.,which is commonly referred to by its J-POWER trading name. J-Power is not a member of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan.[6] The sixteen wholly or partly coal-fired power stations are:

In addition, the Electric Power Development Company, owns and operates three other coal-fired power stations in addition to those listed above.[7] These are:

The impact of the March 2011 Tsunami on Japanese coal plants

On March 11, 2011 a major earthquake off the east coast of Japan caused a massive tsunami which devastated coastal communities and crippled the Fukushima nuclear reactor. Less well known was that the tsunami also had a major impact on a number of Japan's coal-fired power stations and related infrastructure. Coal-fired power stations damaged by the tsunami and earthquake were:[10] [11][12][11]

Company Power station Unit Capacity Nature of damage Recommissioning date
Tohoko Electric Power Company Noshiro Power Station No 1 600
Tohoko Electric Power Company Noshiro Power Station No 2 600
Tohoko Electric Power Company Haramachi Power Station No 1 1000
Tohoko Electric Power Company Haramachi Power Station No 2 1000
TEPCO Hitachinaka Power Station No 1 1000 coal unloader was broken by the tsunami and collapsed into the sea; the coal conveyor system damaged and the site as a whole subsided May 15, 2011
TEPCO Hirono Power Station No 5 600 turbine building flooded and debris are scattered widely across the site July 2011 (the other four oil-fired units were recommissioned the following month)
Sakata Kyodo Power Company Sakata Kyodo Power Station No 1 350 July 2011
Sakata Kyodo Power Company Sakata Kyodo Power Station No 2 350 July 2011
Soma Kyodo Power Company Shinchi Power Station No 1 1000
Soma Kyodo Power Company Shinchi Power Station No 2 1000
Joban Joint Power Company Nakoso Power Station No 7 250
Joban Joint Power Company Nakoso Power Station No 8 600 July 2011
Joban Joint Power Company Nakoso Power Station No 9 600 July 2011
Electric Power Development Company Isogo Power Station No 1 600 March 19, 2011[13]
Joban Joint Power Company Shinchi Power Station No 9 600

Toshimi Tsuchiya, director of Chubu Energy Trading Singapore - a subsidiary of Chubu Electric Power Company - explained in a June 2013 speech at Coaltrans Asia conference that even though only 2 of 48 nuclear units were operating "this situation has not led to an increase in coal consumption.".

The reason, he stated, was that "coal-fired generation has always been used as a base load in Japan and therefore even with the loss of generation output via nuclear, there was little room to increase coal-fired generation. A marginal increase in operational rates at coal-fired stations has been off-set by the loss of capacity damaged in the earthquake."[14]

Tsuchiya stated he believed Japan should build more coal plants but complained that "until now, the largest obstacle in building or expanding coal-fired power plants in Japan was the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Recently, the government announced that they would clarify the EIA criteria and shorten the duration of assessment from three years to a little over one year."

While noting that there was increased push for new coal plants in Japan, he stated that due to a determination by utilities to reduce fuel costs "new plants will be designed for lower grade coals."[14]

In 2014 it was reported that in the three years since Fukushima, Japan's coal imports had risen 6% and its spending on coal rose 17% to nearly $12 billion annually. Imports of natural gas have risen faster. The government also said it would step up its financial support of "more efficient" coal-fired power plants in developing nations.[15]

Canadian province and Japan ink deal

In January 2011, Saskatchewan and Japan signed an agreement to work together on clean coal and carbon capture and storage. The Canadian province and the Japan Coal Energy Center — which represents more than 100 companies — signed a memorandum of understanding to encourage more co-operation on so-called clean coal technologies. The province stated the agreement would set the stage for information exchanges and research projects involving scientists and companies in both jurisdictions. The province stated that Japanese investment in Saskatchewan carbon capture and storage projects as a result. Saskatchewan Energy Minister Bill Boyd said the initiative would help industries and utilities reduce their environmental footprints. Saskatchewan is currently Canada's third-largest coal producer and also relies on coal to supply 62 per cent of the province's energy.[16]

Japanese overseas coal plant construction projects

Articles and Resources

Sources

  1. ↑ "Country Analysis: Japan" EIA, March 2011.
  2. ↑ Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics, Resources and Energy Quarterly March Quarter 2013, Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics, March 2013.
  3. ↑ Science, Bucking global trends, Japan again embraces coal power, 2 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Country Analysis: Japan" EIA, June 2012.
  5. ↑ Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, "Summary of thermal power generation in Japan", Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, November 2007, pages 9-10.
  6. ↑ Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, "Principal Thermal Power Plants (1,000MW or greater)", Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, accessed August 2009.
  7. ↑ Jump up to: 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Electric Power Development Co., "Fact Book: 2008", Electric Power Development Co., October 2008, page 15.
  8. ↑ Electric Power Development Co., "Fact Book: 2008", Electric Power Development Co., October 2008, page 10.
  9. ↑ Chin S. Kuo, "The Mineral Industry of Japan", U.S. Geological Survey, April 2009, page 6.
  10. ↑ TEPCO, "Approach 1: Restoration of devastated thermal power station", TEPCO website, accessed April 2013.
  11. ↑ Jump up to: 11.0 11.1 "Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on Coal Thermal Power Generation and Coal Demand", The Institute of Energy Economics Japan, June 6, 2011.
  12. ↑ Masaki Shiratori, "Damages of machines and structures in Great East Japan earthquake and Lessons from the disaster", Proceedings of the International Symposium on Engineering Lessons Learned from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, March 1-4, 2012, Tokyo, Japan, page 146.
  13. ↑ Mari Iwata and Simon Hall, "Some Coal-Fired Plants Brought Back Online", Wall Street Journal, March 19, 2011.
  14. ↑ Jump up to: 14.0 14.1 Toshimi Tsuchiya, director of Chubu Energy Trading Singapore, "Mr Toshimi Tsuchiya’s speech at Coaltrans Asia", June 2013.
  15. ↑ "Japan to Step Up Support for Overseas Use of Coal," WSJ, July 23, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Saskatchewan and Japan agree to work together on clean coal, carbon capture" The Canadian Press, January 25, 2011.
  17. ↑ Jump up to: 17.0 17.1 17.2 "Contract signed for construction of 1,000MW Manjung ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant in Malaysia," Sumitomo corporation press release, August 22, 2013

Related SourceWatch articles

External Articles

External resources

Retrieved from "https://dev.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Japan_and_coal&oldid=782392"