Nakoso power station

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Nakoso power station (勿来発電所) is an operating power station of at least 1975-megawatts (MW) in Iwaki, Fukushima, Tohoku, Japan with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as IGCC勿来発電所 (IGCC), IGCC Nakoso (IGCC).

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
Nakoso power station Iwaki, Fukushima, Tohoku, Japan 36.9128, 140.8128 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the power station.

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

  • IGCC, Unit 10, Unit 7, Unit 8, Unit 9: 36.9128, 140.8128

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name Status Fuel(s) Capacity (MW) Technology Start year Retired year
IGCC operating coal: unknown 525 IGCC 2021
Unit 10 retired coal: unknown 250 IGCC 2013 2020
Unit 7 operating coal: bituminous 250 subcritical 1970
Unit 8 operating coal: bituminous 600 supercritical 1983
Unit 9 operating coal: bituminous 600 supercritical 1983

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name Owner Parent
IGCC Nakoso IGCC Power GK [100%] Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd [40.0%]; Mitsubishi Corp [26.6%]; Banpu Power Investment Co Ltd [13.4%]; Mitsubishi Electric Corp [10.0%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [6.2%]; Tohoku Electric Power Co Inc [2.5%]; Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [1.2%]
Unit 10 Joban Joint Power Co Ltd [100%] Tohoku Electric Power Co Inc [49.1%]; Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [24.6%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [24.6%]
Unit 7 Joban Joint Power Co Ltd [100%] Tohoku Electric Power Co Inc [49.1%]; Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [24.6%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [24.6%]
Unit 8 Joban Joint Power Co Ltd [100%] Tohoku Electric Power Co Inc [49.1%]; Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [24.6%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [24.6%]
Unit 9 Joban Joint Power Co Ltd [100%] Tohoku Electric Power Co Inc [49.1%]; Chubu Electric Power Co Inc [24.6%]; Tokyo Electric Power Co [24.6%]

Background

This plant was originally used to use low-grade local coal in the Joban coalfield with a pair of 35-MW units built in 1957. Three 75-MW sets were added in 1960/61. All five of these units are now closed. The larger units were built to fire heavy oil and some later converted to coal and coal-water mixture.[1]

The existing units consist of:[2][3]

  • Unit 6 - 175 MW - 1966 (oil)
  • Unit 7 - 250 MW - 1970 (Subcritical)
  • Unit 8 - 600 MW - 1983 (Supercritical)
  • Unit 9 - 600 MW - 1983 (Supercritical)
  • Unit 10 - 250 MW - Retired in 2020 (Subcritical)
  • IGCC Unit - 525 MW - 2021

Proposed IGCC Unit

In 2013, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said it is 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 will be in the Hirono area at the Hirono power station, and the other in the Nakoso area. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) will operate the Mitsubishi-owned power plants that could be connected to the grid by 2020.[4][5]

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 Nakoso power station. It is 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 the Hirono Thermal Power Station.[6]

The power station is under construction and planned for September 2020.[7] In March 2020, Unit 11 began trial operations.[8] The IGCC unit was commissioned in April 2021.[9]

Mitsubishi Corporation's 10% share was transferred to Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.[10]

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.[11]

Opposition

The “No Coal, Go Green! Project” released a report in March 2020 highlighting why the Mitsubishi Company that is powering the Nakoso plant should stop investing. One major reason cited was that the Nakoso power plant in the Fukushima Prefecture would increase global CO2 emissions and be inconsistent with Paris Agreement climate policies.[12]

Articles and Resources

References

  1. "Coal-Fired Plants in Japan," Industcards, accessed Feb 2016
  2. "設備概要," Joban Power, accessed March 2016
  3. "Nakoso power station Japan," Global Energy Observatory, accessed October 2014
  4. "2 new coal-fired power plants in disaster struck Fukushima," Sekitan, Dec 11, 2013.
  5. “Operation and Construction Plans of Coal-Fired Thermal Plants in Japan,” Kiko Network, 17 October 2014
  6. "Tepco Mitsubishi and Joban Joint Power partner on low-emission coal power projects in Japan," Power Technology, Aug 21, 2015
  7. "大型石炭ガス化複合発電設備実証計画(勿来)/福島復興電源コンソーシアム/福島県いわき市," Kiko Network, accessed May 2017
  8. "大型石炭ガス化複合発電設備実証計画(勿来)/福島復興電源コンソーシアム/福島県いわき市," Kiko Network, accessed May 2020
  9. Nakoso IGCC Plant Completed, the World's Largest Plant began Operations on April 16 in Japan, Mitsubishi Power, Apr. 19, 2021
  10. Company Profile, Nakoso IGCC Power GK, accessed January 26, 2023
  11. "Preview of Fukushima IGCC Power Plants (1080MW) | Transaction | IJGlobal". ijglobal.com. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  12. "Why Investors should divest from Mitsubishi Corporation", No Coal, Go Green! Project, March, 2020.

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.