Sendai power station
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Sendai power station (仙台パワーステーション) is an operating power station of at least 112-megawatts (MW) in Sendai, Miyagi, Tohoku, Japan.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Sendai power station | Sendai, Miyagi, Tohoku, Japan | 38.26812, 141.009193 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- ': 38.26812, 141.009193
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| operating | coal: unknown | 112 | subcritical | 2017 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Owner | Parent |
|---|---|
| ENEX Electric Power Co Ltd; Kanden Energy Solution Co Inc | Itochu ENEX Co Ltd; Kansai Electric Power Co |
Background
Kansai Electric Power has proposed a 112 MW coal-fired power station near the city of Sendai, with a planned operation date of October 2017.[1][2]
Due to the plant's small size, no EIA was required. In March 2016 the proponents made an environmental agreement for the plant with local communities.[3]
In October 2017 construction was finished and the plant began commercial operations.[4]
Opposition to plant
In July 2017 it was reported that residents of Sendai City had gathered more than 40,000 signatures in opposition to the plant, which did its first test run the month before.[5] The name of the citizens groups formed to opposed the plant is Anti-Coal Sendai(仙台港の石炭火力発電所建設問題を考える会).[6] According to the Japanese Press Weekly, the plant's owner KEPCO "dodged taking the responsibility to explain to the public how much environmental damage the plant in question would cause. The national government requires an environmental assessment for construction of a thermal power plant with an electricity output of 112,500 kilowatts or more, but the Sendai Power Station’s designated power output is 112,000 kilowatts. Although Sendai City’s ordinance makes it mandatory to conduct the assessment procedure on any power plant with an output of 30,000 kilowatts or more, the controversial project in Sendai Port obtained the city’s approval two months before the ordinance became effective."[5] "The thermal power plant in Sendai uses older technologies and emits ten times more particulates and 7.6 times more nitrogen oxides than a plant with the latest technology installed. Within a 5-km radius of the new coal-fired power plant, 150,000 people live and 32 schools including 17 elementary schools are located. Some fear that particles and other pollutants from the plant may cause health damage to children in particular. Doctor Mitobe Hidetoshi emphasized that environmental pollution hit children the hardest. He also pointed out that there is no established safe contamination level for particulates."[5]
Lawsuit to shut down plant
In September 2017 124 Miyagi residents filed a lawsuit against the operator and demanded the shutdown of the plant over the following concerns: impact on a natural conservation area of migrating birds, climate change, inadequate environmental assessment, inadequate local communication, and waste accumulation in a tsunami disaster–affected area.[7] The lawsuit cited numerous problems with development of the plant including a failure to assess its environmental impact and failure to communicate details of its construction to residents.[7] The lawsuit is the first in Japan filed against a single coal-fired plant.[7]
In February 2020 President and CEO of Sendai Power Koji Toyama testified in response to the lawsuit in Sendai District Court. When asked to state the plant's benefits to local residents, Toyama said that the question of such benefits had not been considered and that the plant's owners were only interested in projects where coal could be unloaded.[8]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ “Operation and Construction Plans of Coal-Fired Thermal Plants in Japan,” Kiko Network, 17 October 2014
- ↑ "Construction plans for Japan's coal power stations," Reuters, Dec 11, 2014
- ↑ "Sendai Power Station / Sendai City, Miyagi pref.," Kiko Network, accessed June 2016
- ↑ Commercial operation started on 2017/10/1, Kiko Network, accessed November 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Sendai residents collecting signatures to stop coal-fired thermal power station operations, Japanese Press Weekly, 26 Jul 2017
- ↑ Sendai Coal-Fired Power Station, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, EJ Atlas, accessed February 2020
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Chisato Tanaka, "Japan continues to rely on coal-fired plants despite global criticism," Japan Times, October 9, 2018
- ↑ 2月17日第13回口頭弁論レポート, Stop Sendai PS, Feb. 17, 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.
