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Hirono power station (広野発電所) is an operating power station of at least 1743-megawatts (MW) in Hirono, Futaba, Fukushima, Tohoku, Japan. It is also known as IGCC Hirono (IGCC), IGCC広野発電所 (IGCC).
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Hirono power station | Hirono, Futaba, Fukushima, Tohoku, Japan | 37.232652, 141.013799 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- IGCC, Unit 5, Unit 6: 37.232652, 141.013799
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IGCC | operating | coal: unknown | 543 | IGCC | 2021 |
| Unit 5 | operating | coal: bituminous | 600 | ultra-supercritical | 2004 |
| Unit 6 | operating | coal: bituminous | 600 | ultra-supercritical | 2013 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| IGCC | Hirono IGCC Power GK [100%] | Hirono IGCC Management Co Ltd [40.0%]; Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd [40.0%]; Mitsubishi Electric Corp [10.0%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [10.0%] |
| Unit 5 | JERA Co Inc [100%] | Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [50.0%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [50.0%] |
| Unit 6 | JERA Co Inc [100%] | Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [50.0%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [50.0%] |
Financing
Source of financing:
Background
As of 2011, the plant had an installed capacity of 4,400 MW. Power was generated by three 600 MW units, and two 1,000 MW units. Units 1 to 4 ran on fuel oil and crude oil,[1] whereas unit 5 (600 MW) ran on coal.[2][3]
A 600 MW coal-fired Unit 6 went into operation in December 2013, raising the plant's capacity from 3,800 MW to 4,400 MW.[4]
New IGCC unit
In 2013, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said it was considering partnering with Mitsubishi to build two 500 MW integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) coal-fired power stations in Fukushima Prefecture, the area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant damaged in the 2011 earthquake. One unit would be in the Hirono area and the other in the Nakoso area at the Nakoso power station. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) would operate the Mitsubishi-owned power plants that could be connected to the grid by 2020.[5][6]
In August 2015, a letter of intent (LOI) was signed between TEPCO, Mitsubishi, and Joban Joint Power Co. to develop a 540 MW IGCC plant at the Hirono power station. It was planned to be operational in the early 2020s. The companies, named the Fukushima Revitalization Power Consortium, also signed an LOI for a 540 MW IGCC plant at Joban's 1,875MW coal-fired Nakoso power station.[7]
The EIA was approved in 2016, and the plant was planned for 2021.[8] Construction of the plant began in April 2018.[9] According to Kiko Net the plant is scheduled to be commissioned in September 2021.[10]
2021: Begins operating
The unit went into operation in November 2021.[11]
Financing of IGCC Units
In September 2016, a combined financing agreement was closed for the Hirono and Nakoso IGCC units. US$2,755.05 million in loans was provided for the two units, assumed to be split on a 50:50 basis, by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Development Bank of Japan, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Toho Bank, Nippon Life Insurance, Aozora Bank, Joyo Bank, Chiba Bank, Chugoku Bank, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance, Resona Holdings, Yamagata Bank, Bank of Fukuoka, Yamaguchi Bank, Bank of Iwate, Aomori Bank, North Pacific Bank, Akita Bank, and Shizuoka Bank.[12]
Opposition
The “No Coal, Go Green! Project” released a report in March 2020, highlighting why the Mitsubishi Company that is powering the Hirono plant should stop investing. One major reason cited was that the Hirono power plant in the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan impacted radiation levels in nearby neighborhoods.[13]
Plant Details of IGCC plant
Sponsor: Hirono IGCC Power GK (Mitsubishi Corporation Energy Solutions (40%), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (40%), Mitsubishi Electric (10%), Tokyo Electric Power Company 10%[14])
Parent Company: Mitsubishi (90%), TEPCO (10%)
Location: Fukushima, Japan
Coordinates: 37.232652,141.015 (exact)
Status: Operating
Proposed start date: 2021
Capacity: 540 MW
Type: IGCC
Coal Type: Hard coal
Coal Source: Imported
Estimated annual CO2:
Financing: US$1,377.525 million in debt from Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Development Bank of Japan, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Toho Bank, Nippon Life Insurance, Aozora Bank, Joyo Bank, Chiba Bank, Chugoku Bank, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance, Resona Holdings, Yamagata Bank, Bank of Fukuoka, Yamaguchi Bank, Bank of Iwate, Aomori Bank, North Pacific Bank, Akita Bank, and Shizuoka Bank.[12]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Yuji Nishiyama (March 22, 2011). "Utilities Sector". Credit Suisse. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ↑ Hiromasa Momma; Junichi Ishiguro; Takayuki Suto; Toshihiro Miyawaki; Ryuji Iwamoto; Tsuyoshi Nakahara (October 2004). "Commencement of the Commercial Operation of 600 MW Unit, "Hirono No. 5 Thermal Power Station of The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc."". Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. 41 (5): 264–267.
- ↑ 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
- ↑ "Commercial Operation Commencement of Unit 6 of Hirono Thermal Power Station," TEPCO, December 3, 2013
- ↑ "2 new coal-fired power plants in disaster struck Fukushima," Sekitan, December 11, 2013
- ↑ “Operation and Construction Plans of Coal-Fired Thermal Plants in Japan,” Kiko Network, October 17, 2014
- ↑ "Tepco Mitsubishi and Joban Joint Power partner on low-emission coal power projects in Japan," Power Technology, August 21, 2015
- ↑ "大型石炭ガス化複合発電設備実証計画（広野）／福島復興電源コンソーシアム／福島県広野町," Kiko Network, accessed May 2017
- ↑ Construction of IGCC Facilities Begins at 540 MW Plant in Hirono-machi, Fukushima, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, April 13, 2018
- ↑ Communication with Kiko Net, May 2021
- ↑ "Hirono IGCC Plant Construction Project Completed in Fukushima; Operations Launched on November 19," Mitsubishi Power, November 24, 2021
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Preview of Fukushima IGCC Power Plants (1080MW) | Transaction | IJGlobal". ijglobal.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- ↑ "Why Investors should divest from Mitsubishi Corporation", No Coal, Go Green! Project, March, 2020
- ↑ "Shareholder Breakdown," Hirono IGCC, accessed December 2021
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.
