Japan's J-Power expects delay to 2030 start of Ohma nuclear power plant
Japan's J-Power expects delay to 2030 start of Ohma nuclear power plant TOKYO, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Japan's Electric Power Development 9513.T expects construction of its Ohma nuclear power plant to be delayed, pushing back its planned 2030 start of operations, its president said on Tuesday.
J-Power initially planned to complete construction of the 1,383-megawatt plant in 2029 and begin operations in 2030, but the schedule is likely to slip due to the complexity of construction planning, President Hideaki Kato told reporters.
The company plans to unveil a new mid-term business strategy next spring that includes a target start date for Ohma and revised plans to phase out inefficient coal-fired power plants, Kato said.
"The most significant issue will likely be the anticipated timetable for the Ohma plant," Kato said, adding that another key issue would be a revised plan for coal-fired power generation.
The Ohma plant in Aomori prefecture, northern Japan, is an advanced boiling water reactor designed to be the world's first nuclear power plant capable of using MOX (mixed-oxide) fuel throughout its entire core. Construction began in May 2008 but was suspended after the March 2011 earthquake and Fukushima disaster. Preparatory work resumed in 2012, and J-Power is proceeding with the application process for approval under stricter regulations adopted after the disaster.
J-Power's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 remains unchanged, Kato said, but it may revise its 2024 roadmap, which called for phasing out inefficient coal-fired power plants by 2030. Rising electricity demand from data centres could make it preferable to keep the plants operating longer, he said.
The company's plan to convert the Matsushima coal-fired power plant to a lower-carbon facility has been delayed due to soaring construction costs, labour shortages and longer lead times for gas turbines, Kato said.
Overseas, J-Power is seeking gas-fired power projects in Asia backed by long-term power purchase agreements and plans to expand large-scale solar projects in response to solid demand for carbon-free renewable power from major companies in the United States and Australia.
(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi, Editing by Louise Heavens)
((Yuka.Obayashi@thomsonreuters.com; +813-4520-1265;))