Japan's Kobe Steel, JERA launch new power units

Kobe Steel

01/02/2023 06:34

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Japan's biggest power generator JERA
and steelmaker Kobe Steel Ltd  5406.T  launched two power units
— a natural gas-fired and a coal-fired, respectively — the
companies said on Wednesday.
    The launch comes as Japan faces tight power capacity amid
efforts to adhere to its carbon-neutrality goal of 2050. Climate
activists have blamed Japan for building more fossil fuel-fired
power plants and the country recently started to add ammonia to
co-fire with coal to reduce emissions, among other options. 
    JERA, one of the world's largest buyers of liquefied natural
gas (LNG), said on Wednesday its new gas-fired unit at Anegasaki
thermal power station near Tokyo has a generating capacity of
650 megawatts (MW). 
    The company plans to launch two more new units with
same-capacity at Anegasaki in April and August, respectively. 
    Separately, Kobe Steel, Japan's third-biggest steelmaker,
said it launched its coal-fired unit 4 with a capacity of 650 MW
at Kobe power station near the country's second-biggest
metropolis of Osaka, to supply Kansai Electric Power Co
 9503.T , it said.
    Energy-poor Japan is expanding its in cleaner fuels, such as
ammonia and hydrogen, and is developing carbon capture projects,
as it moves towards its goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050,
on par with other developed nations. 
 (Reporting by Katya Golubkova; editing by Uttaresh.V)
 ((ekaterina.golubkova@thomsonreuters.com))