Japan is building
state-of-the-art
coal-fired
power plants
in its own country,
and financing them
in developing
countries.
Japan has few
natural resources
of its own and has to
import most of its energy.
Diversification of fuels
is important to the country.
By replacing old coal units
with the best available
new technology,
Japan hopes to reduce
carbon dioxide emissions,
and emissions of
nitrogen oxide, sulfur
dioxide, and particulate
matter.
Japan plans to build
as many as 22 new
coal-fired power plants
at 17 different sites
in the next five years
despite its commitment
to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions.
Under the Paris climate accord,
Japan committed to reduce
its greenhouse gas emissions
26 percent by 2030 compared to
2013 levels.
Japan currently relies on coal
for over a third of its power
generation needs.
The country plans to meet
over a quarter of its
electricity demand
from coal in 2030.
Coal was a preferred
choice of fuel for
new electricity generation
after the Fukushima
nuclear accident and is
part of the country’s fuel
diversification plans.
Japan is second to China
in financing coal plants
in developing nations.
Fossil fuels (coal, oil,
and natural gas) account for
about four-fifths of Japan’s
electricity needs, and
renewable sources of energy
account for about 16 percent,
with hydropower contributing
the largest share.
Reliance on nuclear energy,
which once provided
about a third of Japan’s power
generation, dropped to 3 percent
in 2017.
The Yokosuka project
consists of two coal units
to be constructed at the site
of an oil-powered power station,
operated by Tokyo Electric Power.
That oil power station
was shuttered in 2009,
but was recalled to operation
after the Fukushima accident.
An earthquake and tsunami
badly damaged a seaside
nuclear facility owned by
Tokyo Electric in 2011.
Tokyo Electric had to start up
two of the eight Yokosuka
oil-powered units as an
emergency measure.
They were shut down
again in 2017.
Japan’s answer to
carbon dioxide emissions
from coal is to invest in
carbon capture and storage
(CCS) technology, but that
technology is not yet
commercially available
because of its high cost.
Japan CCS Co. is completing
a three-year demonstration
project involving 300,000 tons
of carbon dioxide emitted from
an oil refinery in Hokkaido
this fiscal year.
CCS costs as much as
¥7,300 ($66.51) for 1 ton
of carbon dioxide removal.
For 300,000 tons of carbon
dioxide removal, the cost
is almost $20 million.
Japan wants to capture
and store 100 million tons
of carbon dioxide per year
beginning in 2020.
Japan’s trade ministry
estimates that there is
potential to store
146 billion tons
of carbon dioxide
in the surrounding
waters of Japan.
According to Japanese
estimates, if all the
existing coal plants
in Asia and the
United States are fitted
with ultra-supercritical
technology, the global
carbon dioxide emissions
would be reduced
by 1.2 billion tons a year
—close to the total
annual emissions
of Japan.
When Japan’s new
“clean coal” technology
is compared with aging coal
units built before 2002:
Emissions of nitrogen oxide,
sulfur oxide, and particulate
matter from newer plants
have fallen by 93%, 83%,
and 90%, respectively.