Hekinan power station
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Hekinan power station (碧南発電所) is an operating power station of at least 4100-megawatts (MW) in Hekinan, Aichi, Chūbu, Japan.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Hekinan power station | Hekinan, Aichi, Chūbu, Japan | 34.834612, 136.959336 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5: 34.834612, 136.959336
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: bituminous | 700 | supercritical | 1991 |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: bituminous | 700 | supercritical | 1992 |
| Unit 3 | operating | coal: bituminous | 700 | ultra-supercritical | 1993 |
| Unit 4 | operating | coal: bituminous | 1000 | ultra-supercritical | 2001 |
| Unit 5 | operating | coal: bituminous | 1000 | ultra-supercritical | 2002 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | JERA Co Inc [100%] | Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [50.0%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [50.0%] |
| Unit 2 | JERA Co Inc [100%] | Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [50.0%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [50.0%] |
| Unit 3 | JERA Co Inc [100%] | Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [50.0%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [50.0%] |
| Unit 4 | JERA Co Inc [100%] | Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [50.0%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [50.0%] |
| Unit 5 | JERA Co Inc [100%] | Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [50.0%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [50.0%] |
Background
The supercritical coal plant is owned by Chubu Electric Power Company. Coal is imported. It consists of the following units:[1][2][3]
- Units 1-3: 700 MW each, commissioned 1991-93
- Units 4&5: 1000 MW each, commissioned 2001 & 2002
2014 fire temporarily shuts unit
In January 2014 Platts reported that as a result of a fire in a coal pulveriser, which burned for over two hours, the company was temporarily forced to shut the 700 MW No. 3 unit at the plant.[4]
Showcasing coal to developing nations
As part of a plan to build coal-burning plants in the developing world, Japan is using the Hekinan plant to showcase its most "efficient" technology, according to an August 2015 report in Politico. "Tetsuya Watabe, general manager of Chubu Electric’s 4,100-megawatt Hekinan Thermal Power Station, Japan’s largest coal plant, said in an interview that within the last year alone, power plant operators and government officials from Thailand, China, Myanmar, India and Indonesia have visited the site as they consider building new coal plants in their countries."[5] In November 2017 the sponsor of a proposed 1,280 MW coal-fired plant in Hpa-An, Karen State, Myanmar attempted to promote the plant by organizing a trip for residents to visit the Hekinan power station. This tactic was unsuccessful as Myanmar's Union Minister of Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing announced in March 2018 that the plant will not be built.[6]
Transition to ammonia-fueled operations
In November 2020 JERA began tests in which ammonia was used to co-fire Units 4 and 5 at the plant, as part of a long-term plan to shift its most inefficient plants to 100% ammonia.[7]
In May 2023, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) published a report describing the effects of co-firing ammonia at Unit 4 on total emissions of fine particulate matter and precursor gases that contribute to air pollution. CREA estimated that with ammonia making up 20% of the fuel mix, total emissions at Unit 4 increased by 67% to 2249 tonnes. With ammonia increased to 50% of the fuel mix, emissions would increase by up to 167%. The production, transport, and burning of ammonia increases emissions of PM2.5 fine particle pollution, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and greenhouse gases.[8]
In November 2023, JERA announced that they would trial co-firing 20% ammonia in March 2024.[9]
In March 2024, JERA said they were delaying trial co-firing until after April 2024, as they were taking more time to test equipment.[10]
In April 2024, the ammonia co-firing demonstration began in Unit 4.[11]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, "Principal Thermal Power Plants (1,000MW or greater)", Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, accessed August 2009.
- ↑ Toshimi Tsuchiya, director of Chubu Energy Trading Singapore, "Mr Toshimi Tsuchiya’s speech at Coaltrans Asia", June 2013.
- ↑ Hekinan Coal Power Plant Japan, Global Energy Observatory, accessed January 2014.
- ↑ Eriko Amaha, "Japan Chubu Electric's coal-fired power unit hit by fire; gas usage to rise", Platts, January 20, 2014.
- ↑ Japan exporting coal plants, Politico, 12 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Myanmar Official Says Hpa-An Coal Plant Cancelled, EarthRights International, Apr. 4, 2018
- ↑ Japan’s Kobelco to use ammonia for power generation, Argus Media, May 11, 2021
- ↑ "Air quality implications of coal-ammonia co-firing," Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, May 15, 2023
- ↑ "Challenging Green Country Skepticism: The Reality of Ammonia as a Fuel Source," JERA, November 24, 2023
- ↑ "Japan’s Jera delays NH3-coal co-firing trial at Hekinan," Argus Media, March 25, 2024
- ↑ "Start of Demonstration Testing of Fuel Ammonia Substitution at JERA’s Hekinan Thermal Power Station," JERA, April 1, 2024
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
