[Japan] Kansai Electric Power, Chugoku Electric Power and J-Power Each Released 2050 Carbon Neutrality Roadmaps

On February 26, 2021, two Japanese electric utilities and one power producer-- Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO, Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Pref.), Chugoku Electric Power (‎EnerGia, Headquarters: Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Pref.), and J-Power (Headquarters: Tokyo)--each announced 2050 carbon-neutral realization roadmaps.

KEPCO’s Zero Carbon Vision 2050 envisions three key pillars to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050: demand-side carbon neutral strategies, supply-side zero emission management, and adjusting to a transition into a hydrogen society. It emphasizes the importance of accelerating the adoption of new technologies, including hydrogen, ammonia, and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) which mainly focuses on carbon-recycling technologies. It plans to expand the deployment of ammonia mixed fuel combustion into its existing coal-fired power plants and will utilize CCUS to tackle the CO2 generated by existing plants. KEPCO will also increase the deployment of offshore wind power and distributed energy resources (DERs) as well as  develop next-generation advanced nuclear reactors.[1] [2]

EnerGia also aims to be carbon neutral by 2050 and has set a goal to increase its renewable energy output from 300MW to 700MW. Like KEPCO, EnerGia plans to reduce the CO2 emissions from its coal-fired power plants by utilizing CCUS technologies and an ammonia mixed fuel combustion method. In recent years, EnerGia has conducted a demonstration project for the method at Mizushima Power Station in Okayama Prefecture. Meanwhile, the company has been contributing to the development of hydrogen power through the Osaki CoolGen Project. The project, which has been operating since FY2012, aims to assess the feasibility of Integrated Coal Gasification Fuel Cell Combined Cycle (IGFC) and Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC).[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

J-Power, Japan’s largest coal-fired power operator, aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030, and be carbon neutral by 2050 by achieving the following goals:

·       Replace its old coal-fired power plants with hydrogen power plants

·       Accelerate the expansion of renewable energy, including onshore and offshore wind power and geothermal power, and increase their output from 9.5GW (FY2017) to 10.5GW by FY 2025

·       Promote the development of the Ohma Nuclear Power Plant Project

·       Improve power infrastructure for widespread introduction of renewable energy in the future[8] [9] [10]

[1] https://www.kepco.co.jp/corporate/pr/2021/0226_3j.html

[2] https://www.kepco.co.jp/corporate/pr/2021/pdf/0226_3j_01.pdf

[3] https://www.osaki-coolgen.jp/project/overview.html

[4] https://www.energia.co.jp/press/2021/13005.html

[5] https://www.energia.co.jp/assets/p20210226-1b.pdf

[6] https://www.energia.co.jp/assets/p20210226-1a.pdf

[7] https://sustainablejapan.jp/2021/02/27/j-power-kepco-carbon-neutral/59484

[8] https://www.jpower.co.jp/news_release/pdf/news210226_4-2.pdf

[9] https://www.jpower.co.jp/news_release/pdf/news210226_4-3.pdf

[10] https://www.jpower.co.jp/news_release/2021/02/news210226_4.html