Japanese utilities plan to add more than 11 GW of base-load coal-fired and gas-fired power plants by 2027, as all nuclear reactors are currently shutdown after the Fukushima disaster of 2011 with no restarts scheduled so far. The Japanese government's plans to revive nuclear power have been contested and power utilities are preparing for thermal capacity increase. The nine nuclear operators had to restart ageing and mothballed thermal power plants to cover electricity demand (thermal now accounts for 90% of power generation) and had to raise LNG and coal imports to record high in 2013. Among the projects, Hokkaido Electric plans to build two 569 MW gas-fired power units in Ishikariwan (first unit by 2021 and second by 2028), while Tohoku Electric plans to build a 600 MW gas-fired unit in Joetsu by 2023-2014 (tender to be issued in 2014). The group also has plans for a 600 MW coal-fired project, Noshiro-3, planned in 2020-2022. Large coal-fired power projects are under consideration by Kansai Electric (1,500 MW by 2021-2024), Chubu Electric (1,000 MW by 2022-2023) or Kyushu Electric (1,000 MW at Matsuura-2 by 2021). Chugoku Electric could build a 400 MW coal-fired unit, Misumi-2, after 2027, while TEPCO is considering 6 GW of new thermal capacity.
Interested in Power Plants?
Enerdata has developed a market research service to screen, monitor and analyse the development of power generation assets.
Power Plant Tracker offers an interactive database and a powerful search engine covering power plants worldwide – including both installed and planned capacities for renewables and fossil fuels.