Japanese LNG buyer JERA fires up reprieved Anegasaki gas-fired plant to underpin winter energy security
JERA Co. Inc., the largest Japanese LNG importer, has resumed operations at the gas-fired Anegasaki Thermal Power Station located on the eastern side of Tokyo Bay and currently under a long-term planned shutdown scheduled for February 2023.
JERA explained that that Unit 5 facility at the station was scheduled to resume operations on October 24 to supply auxiliary steam for the restart of Unit 6 at the Anegasaki power plant.
“Because the Unit had deteriorated over time and its utilization rate had declined, the Unit has been in a long-term planned shutdown since April 2021,” said JERA.
However, discussions at the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry's electricity and gas policy committee led to an agreement for a re-start to help underpin Japan’s energy security.
“JERA has lifted the Unit’s long-term planned shutdown and will operate it as part of measures to provide additional power supply capacity for this winter,” added JERA.
The utility company added that it would “make every effort” in cooperation with related parties to ensure a stable supply of energy to the plant and at other power facilities.
The 600-megawatts Anegasaki plant is a conventional gas plant and in operation using LNG as fuel since 1979.
The decision to shut the plant was taken in April 2021 before the current energy crisis deepened with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
JERA is the largest corporate LNG buyer in the world with annual volumes of around 35 million tonnes and controls a fleet of around 20 LNG carriers.
Additionally, it is Japan’s biggest fossil-fuel generator being owned jointly by Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Chubu Electric, the two largest power companies.
The company currently operates and provides fuel for a total of 26 power plants in Japan and imports LNG into 11 of Japan’s network of 37 terminals.
Japanese LNG importer and power plant owner JERA takes measures to face market and geopolitical events
JERA Co. Inc., the main Japanese LNG importer, is taking a series of new measures to ensure a stable supply of electricity in Japan in the face of a changing market and geopolitical events.
Japan’s newest regasification terminal Niihama LNG starts up at Sumitomo Chemical plant on Shikoku Island
Tokyo Gas, a leading liquefied natural gas importer and city-gas and power supplier, said Japan’s newest regasification facility, the Niihama LNG import terminal on Shikoku Island, has started operations.
The utility and four Japanese partners formed a joint venture to build and operate the Niihama LNG terminal with 1 million tonnes per annum of capacity at Sumitomo Chemical’s plant in Ehime Prefecture in Western Japan.
The facility, which is the 37th separate LNG import facility constructed in Japan has one LNG storage tank with a capacity of 230,000 cubic metres capacity and one jetty as well as truck-loading facilities.
The other partners are Sumitomo group members including Sumitomo Chemical and Sumitomo Electric Power, as well as Shikoku Electric Power and Shikoku Gas.
The project also includes the 150-megawatt Niihama gas-fired power plant.
“The joint venture company Niihama LNG has completed the construction and trial operations at the Sumitomo Chemical Ehime Plant in Niihama City in Ehime Prefecture and has begun supplying gas to the plant,” said Tokyo Gas.
“We also plan to start supplying gas to industries in neighbouring areas,” it added.
Subsidiary
Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions, a subsidiary of Tokyo Gas, holds the company’s 50.1 percent share in the Niihama LNG venture.
Tokyo Gas, which imports around 13 MTPA of LNG, offered a corporate bond to investors, and which it called Japan’s first “energy transition bond”, to help finance the Niihama LNG venture.
Tokyo Gas explained that besides the Ehime plant, the new terminal will supply regasified LNG to the new 150 megawatts gas-fired Niihama Kita power plant.
“The Niihama Kita Thermal Power Station, scheduled to start operation in 2022 and being built by Sumitomo Electric Power, will also use LNG as fuel,” stated Tokyo Gas.
“Niihama LNG and jointly invested companies will contribute to the promotion of carbon neutrality through the spread and expansion of environmentally friendly natural gas and the stable and efficient use of energy,” Tokyo Gas concluded.
Japanese Ministry steps in to probe power crunch and may seek monitoring of LNG winter storage
Japan’s most powerful government department, the Ministry of the Economy, Trade and Industry, is considering a new liquefied natural gas stable supply framework after recent winter price spikes and demand surges for power generation led to drops in satisfactory levels of LNG available in storage.
