Changes

In March 2019 it was reported that Marubeni Corporation told the Nikkei media company that it would not proceed with the proposed Akita coal plant. According to ''The Australian Financial Review'', Marubeni has yet to formally announce the decision because it is still trying to convince its joint-venture development partner, Kansai Electric Power, to also abandon the project.<ref>[https://www.afr.com/news/power-plant-cancellations-in-japan-buoy-anticoal-push-20190314-h1cd04 "Power plant cancellations in Japan buoy anti-coal push,"] ''The Australian Financial Review'', March 14, 2019</ref>  In August 2019 a spokesman for Kansai Electric Power announced that construction would not begin in August 2019 as planned and that no new construction schedule had been set. "We have delayed construction of the power plant in Akita from August as was stated in our environmental impact assessment document and no new construction schedule has been set,” said Takahito Hirota, a spokesman at Kansai Electric.<refname=Hirota>Yuka Obayashi and Aaron Sheldrick, [httphttps://ieefawww.orgreuters.com/article/japanesejapan-coal-firmsstation-delay/kansai-electric-marubeni-delay-construction-of-1coal-3gwfired-coalpower-plant/ Japanese firms -idUSL4N25B1K8 "Kansai Electric, Marubeni delay construction of 1.3GW coal -fired power plant"], IEEFA''Reuters'', Aug. August 15, 2019</ref> ''Reuters'' also reported that industry sources have stated that Kansai Electric and Marubeni have surrendeered grid access rights for the project, which would indicate the project has been cancelled. Hirota declined to comment on whether grid access rights have been surrendered.<ref name=Hirota/>