Japan‘s biggest power producer JERA has unveiled plans to close all ‘inefficient’ coal plants by 2030.
The thermal power and fuel joint venture between TEPCO Fuel & Power, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings and Chubu Electric Power says ‘inefficient’ plants are those that currently use ‘supercritical or less’ technology.
Compared to conventional power plants, supercritical facilities use newer technology and water as a supercritical fluid – any fluid treated to temperatures where it is no longer possible to differentiate between the liquid and gas phase becomes a supercritical fluid.
These projects are also thought to use less coal to heat the same amount of water and this results in an increase in the plant’s energy efficiency.
The company, which produces one-third of Japan’s electricity, says it will boost renewable energy production and use greener fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen.
The development of renewable energy will focus on offshore wind power projects and Liquefied Natural Gas thermal power generation.
This forms part of JERA’s plan to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Thermal power generation using fossil fuels accounts for about 80% of Japan’s electricity demand and about 40% of its total carbon dioxide emissions.
