Jera to close inefficient Japanese coal plants by 2030

• 4 years ago (2020-10-14)
• David Flin

Asia 892 Coal 296

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Japan’s biggest power producer Jera Co. Inc . plans to close all its inefficient coal-fired power generators in the country by 2030 as it works towards zero carbon emissions by 2050. Jera is a joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power Co . and Chubu Electric Power Co . It described inefficient coal plants as anything “less than supercritical”.

Jera accounts for about 30 per cent of power generation in Japan, with a capacity of about 70 GW. The company plans to gradually increase the ratio of mixed combustion of fossil fuels, ammonia, and hydrogen as its thermal power plants. It plans to reduce carbon emissions from thermal power plants by 20 per cent by 2030. Jera also plans to promote renewable energy development, especially offshore wind power projects, and improve the efficiency of gas-fired generators that use imported LNG.

The company said in a statement: “Thermal power generation using fossil fuels accounts for about 80 per cent of Japan’s electricity demand, but about 40 per cent of its total CO2 emissions. Reducing CO2 emissions from thermal power generation is essential to realising a low carbon society.”