Energy and Power Infrastructure / エネルギーと電力インフラ

[la.risa.el.olvido]

Nice document RyukyuRhymer. It seems that only Yokohama and Minamata need to work more if they want to reach their goals in time, however that's according to May 2010 data almost two years have passed, I hope they have a good progress now.

As a side note, it is really interesting to see how small japanese cities are much larger than Yokohama, the biggest EMC. Yokohama has only 437 km2 and about 3,650,000 inhabitants, while Toyama with only 420,00 citizens has 1,242 km2. I guess this is due to a lack of tall residential buildings.

[ukiyo]

Tokyo Elec may spin off fossil fuel-fired plants

TOKYO Jan 23 (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power Co , the operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, and Japan's government are considering spinning off the utility's fossil fuel-fired power generation business, the Nikkei business daily said on Monday.

Tokyo Electric, known as Tepco, and the government-backed Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund may also make the company's nuclear and hydro power generation, electricity transmission and power sales businesses operate independently under three in-house firms, the report said. (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Joseph Radford)

http://af.reuters.com/article/commod...8CM0DJ20120122

[RyukyuRhymer]

Originally Posted by ukiyo

Okinawa maybe can become like Brazil with the biofuels. Also this is one case where the central government can do something good, they can set the example to use electric cars and installing solar panels etc. I am extreme with my thoughts on this but I also hope the government in the next few years will completely ban gasoline cars and it will only be hybrids and electrics. There is a new material where the paint of the car works like a solar panel.

I knew about the eco cities but I never read it in depth, I'll check out more of Toyama. Thanks for the link!

to a limit.. Okinawa can't compete with Brazil's large land mass that could produce so much sources for biofuel. Actually Brazil is trying to enter Okinawa's biofuel market. At first they were thinking of using local sugar cane extract, but decided to use their own. In which case, they're a competitor to Japanese companies. In Brazil, their biofuels are successful because the government subsidizes the costs. I wonder if Japan is willing to do the same. It needs to be subsidized in order to compete with the costs of traditional fuel.

as for central government role.. for most cities they need it because infrastructure projects are pricey. Miyakojima i think gets 60% of its money from Tokyo. I wonder what about the big cities like Kyoto.. i'll need to look into that later.

[ukiyo]

Japanese sell more solar power back to utilities

TOKYO Jan 25 (Reuters) - Japanese small solar panel owners - householders and small businesses - sold 50 percent more power to utilities last year than in 2010, Reuters calculations based on an official data showed on Wednesday.

Japan is overhauling its energy policy after the Fukushima crisis shattered public confidence in the safety of atomic power, and is set to introduce a new subsidy scheme which covers a wider range of renewable energy power developers to support the budding market for domestically produced power.

Owners sold a total 2,150 gigawatt hours to power utilities last year, helped by the government scheme.

The data showed Japan's 10 regional power companies spent a total 96 billion yen ($1.2 billion) for surplus solar power from house owners and small businesses last year via a feed-in tariff scheme, which requires them to buy such power.

http://af.reuters.com/article/commod...8CP6OI20120125

Utilities To Hike Surcharges Covering Solar Power Costs

TOKYO (Nikkei)--The nation's 10 electric power utilities on Tuesday announced their fiscal 2012 surcharges to pass along purchasing costs for surplus power from home solar power generation systems, with the figures going up across the board.

The amount to be added to monthly power bills ranges from 7 yen for Hokkaido Electric Power Co. (9509) to 45 yen for Kyushu Electric Power Co. (9508). The figures are up from 2-21 yen in fiscal 2011.

Thanks to lower prices and competition among manufacturers, more homes in Japan have installed solar panels. As a result, costs incurred by each utility to purchase surplus solar power as required by law grew about 40-60% on the year in 2011. Utilities' total spending surged 53% to 95.9 billion yen, with the power they bought increasing 54% to about 2.1 billion kilowatt-hours.

Starting this July, utilities will also have to buy electricity from other renewable energy sources, such as wind and geothermal, as well as solar power from commercial generation businesses. Such details as the price and duration for purchases from each source are to be debated by an expert panel before they are announced by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20120125D2401A19.htm

[ukiyo]

METI to financially support wind power industry

The industry ministry will offer subsidies, tax breaks and other financial incentives to expand power grids for wind power generation amid potential electricity shortages in Japan following the nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture.

The project will be incorporated in a supplementary budget for fiscal 2012, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which is finalizing details of the subsidies for power grid construction and tax breaks for power companies.

METI is also considering providing financial aid to new entrants in the industry, which have often faced difficulties in raising funds and recovering their investments.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy...AJ201202010038

Edano wants households to lend their roofs to solar drive

A program to allow companies to install solar panels on the roofs of private homes will be introduced by the government before the onset of summer, industry ministery Yukio Edano said.

The idea is for households to lend their roof space in return for payment, while companies will provide the equipment necessary to generate power, Edano told The Asahi Shimbun. The firms will profit by selling the electricity onto the public grid under the new “feed-in tariff” law.

There are already systems that allow private households to install solar panels on their roofs and be paid for the electricity they pump back onto the grid. But the upfront cost to households of installing solar panels has limited their appeal.

“It will take time until it is widespread if households have to install panels themselves,” Edano said. “With the roof-lending, households earn money and power companies secure power stations.”

The roof-lending scheme is part of a government drive to encourage the growth of a solar energy industry and will coincide with the introduction in July of the “feed-in tariff” law, which will require utilities to purchase energy produced by solar power producing firms at fixed, above-market rates.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy...AJ201201280064

Chugoku Elec Plans Photovoltaic Plant In Yamaguchi Pref

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Chugoku Electric Power Co. (9504) said Wednesday it will build a 3,000kw photovoltaic power plant in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Construction is scheduled to start by the end of fiscal 2013, with a view to having the plant up and running the following fiscal year.

http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20120201D01SS101.htm

[ukiyo]

NISA compiles 30 requirements for nuclear plants

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency will require electric power companies to undertake 30 measures at their nuclear plants, including extensive work on piping and ventilation systems, according to an interim report.

The requirements, described in NISA’s interim report completed on Feb. 1, will be overseen by a new nuclear regulatory body that will be set up in April. NISA will be merged into the new body.

One of NISA’s requirements is to make the ventilation pipes independent of other equipment.

During the Fukushima crisis, increased pressure inside the reactors made it difficult to pump in water from the outside. The nuclear watchdog will require the utilities to ensure that powerful water injection pumps are present and that equipment allow "safety relief valves," which are designed to lower pressure, to operate even if the power supply is lost.

NISA’s interim report also said power receiving facilities at nuclear plants, including emergency power generators and switchboards, should be dispersed, in locations of high and low elevations inside the buildings, near the coast and further inland.

More: http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...AJ201202020061

IAEA approves stress tests on Japan reactors

Japan's attempts to restart nuclear reactors that were shut down in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi accident were boosted after UN inspectors gave their backing to stress tests designed to confirm the reactors' safety.

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] said the reactor assessments were "generally consistent" with the body's own safety standards.

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...?newsfeed=true

J-Power To Resume Wind Farm Construction In Japan

TOKYO (Nikkei)--J-Power plans to build wind farms in Japan for the first time in three years, anticipating improved profitability from new rules for renewable energy purchases.

More: http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20120202D0202F05.htm

[ukiyo]

METI Chief Urges Dismantling Of Regional Power Monopolies

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Electric utilities' regional dominance must be broken up, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yukio Edano said Thursday, stressing that reform would make the country less susceptible to power shortages.

"Revamping the power supply system, which is now segregated by region, may help lead to stable supplies," said Edano, who spoke at the inaugural meeting of a committee tasked with discussing power industry reform.

Edano believes that ending the regional monopolies of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501) and nine other utility operators could spur competition and create a level playing field that will invite new entrants.

More:http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20120202D0202A14.htm

Huge Yamanashi solar farm online

KOFU, Yamanashi Pref. — A solar power plant with a capacity of 10 megawatts began operating Friday in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture.

The Komekurayama power station, built by Tokyo Electric Power Co. on a 12.5-hectare site, is one of the largest photovoltaic facilities in Japan and produces enough electricity to power around 3,400 homes.

The site is being leased to Tepco for free by the Yamanashi Prefectural Government.

Landlocked Yamanashi receives plenty of sunshine and is trying to attract solar power plant projects. In addition to the one in Kofu, other projects are proceeding in the cities of Kai and Nirasaki.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120128a5.html

[ukiyo]

Japan to Help Farmland Diversion for Renewable Energy

Tokyo, Feb. 12 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry is planning legislative changes to ease the way for abandoned farmland to be consolidated for use in renewable energy projects.

The ministry hopes that power generation projects will revitalize rural areas by creating jobs and boosting incomes, sources said.

As early as Friday, the government will adopt legislation aimed at simplifying approval and notification procedures prescribed under seven laws including the agricultural land act, which restricts diversion of farmland, according to the sources.

The ministry estimates that approximately 170,000 hectares of abandoned farmland can be used for electricity generation.

By using such land for renewable energy projects, it aims to boost the share of renewable energy in total power generation in Japan by threefold from the current level of a little over one pct, the sources said.

More: http://www.electroiq.com/photovoltai...le-energy.html

[ukiyo]

Originally Posted by ukiyo

Japan plans floating wind power for Fukushima coast

A real plan now

Japan firms plan wind farm near Fukushima: report

02/15/2012 A group of Japanese firms led by trading house Marubeni Corp. plans to build a large floating experimental wind farm off the coast of Fukushima prefecture, which was hit by a nuclear disaster last year, a report said Tuesday.

The project aims to generate around 12,000 kilowatts of power, which would supply the needs of more than 100,000 households, and is hoped to go into operation by 2016, Jiji Press news agency reported, quoting Marubeni officials.

More: http://outcomemag.com/science/2012/0...ushima-report/

Good news

Japan basks in solar rebound even before FIT kicks in

Japan’s PV installations surged in 2011, according to newly published figures, and the industry is set for another massive boost when the country’s first feed-in tariff (FIT) goes live in July.

Domestic shipments rose 31% to 1.3GW, making Japan the sixth-largest market in the world, just behind France, according to the Japanese Photovoltaic Industry Energy Association.

Japan’s 10 regional utilities – widely criticised for neglecting renewables in recent years – purchased 2,150GWh of PV-generated electricity in 2011, a 50% increase on the year prior.

The global renewables sector is waiting with baited breath for the Japanese government to reveal the FIT rates. Parliament approved the FIT last August in the wake of the Fukushima crisis, and the scheme is expected to come into force this July.

Many solar companies have readied huge development plans which they intend to unveil after the rates are announced. SunEdison, the development arm of US-based MEMC, has confirmed plans to invest ¥350bn in Japanese solar projects over the next five years, while China’s Suntech says it expects Japanese sales to double this year.

Japanese aerial surveyor Kokusai Kogyo and financial services group Orix have just announced plans to build 4MW of PV FIT-eligible capacity in western regions of the country.

http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/s...icle303481.ece

[ukiyo]

Another project

Solar power plant planned in disaster-hit Ishinomaki

A group of companies, including Hitachi Ltd., plans to invest 3.5 billion yen ($44 million) to build a large solar power plant on the disaster-hit Oshika Peninsula in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture.

The companies plan to start operations at the plant in summer 2013. It will have a capacity of 10 megawatts, one of the largest in Japan for a solar plant, sources said.

Toko Electrical Construction Co. and a local construction company have established a special-purpose company that will be in charge of the project. Hitachi is considering investing in the new company, the sources said.

The special-purpose company plans to sell all electricity generated at the plant to Tohoku Electric Power Co., using a system to be introduced this summer.

Another mega solar project expected to help in the recovery of areas hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year is under way in Higashi-Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, led by Mitsui & Co.

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to build a solar power plant with a capacity of 10 to 20 megawatts in the inland village of Ohira in the same prefecture, where the automaker has a factory.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311dis...AJ201202190001

An important news

Ministry to allow geothermal heat projects in national parks

The Environment Ministry will allow the extraction of geothermal heat from national parks for power generation by easing restrictions intended to preserve the scenery and prevent the destruction of ecosystems, sources said.

The ministry’s plan was approved at a meeting of experts on Feb. 14.

Under the plan, the regulations will be eased by the end of March after the ministry hears the opinions of nature conservation groups and other organizations, the sources said.

Geothermal heat is regarded as a potential energy source that will support Japanese society as it reduces its dependence on nuclear power.

The ministry will continue its restrictions in “first-category special areas” of national parks, where environmental conservation is especially required.

But in other areas, the ministry plans to approve projects to extract geothermal heat if technologies are used that take into consideration the scenery and ecosystems. One such technology enables developers to dig wells at an angle starting outside the national parks.

Japan, with its many volcanoes, is believed to have the third-largest amount of geothermal heat in the world. However, about 80 percent of candidate sites for geothermal power generation are located in national parks.

More: http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy...AJ201202150028

[ukiyo]

Yokohama city mulls entering power retail business

YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) -- The city of Yokohama is considering launching an electricity retail business to enhance its energy independence by setting up a power grid in the Minato Mirai 21 district, home to a large cluster of office buildings and high-rise condominiums, city officials said Friday.

The city has decided that it needs to be able to reduce its reliance on Tokyo Electric Power Co. after drawing a lesson from last March's earthquake-tsunami disaster and subsequent crisis at the utility's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

If Yokohama goes ahead with the plan, it will become the first local government in Japan to do so.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu069000c.html

[ukiyo]

Softbank unit to build mega solar power plants in Kyoto, Gunma, Tokushima

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Softbank Corp. subsidiary SB Energy Corp. will build and operate solar power plants in Kyoto, Shinto in Gunma Prefecture, and Matsushige and Komatsushima in Tokushima Prefecture, according to separate announcements Monday.

The solar power plant projects in the four municipalities are the first commercial deals for SB Energy, which plans to build solar plants at more than 10 locations in Japan.

SB Energy and its partners plan to construct two photovoltaic power generators in Kyoto with a total annual generation capacity of around 4.2 megawatt-hours, enough to meet annual demand from about 1,000 households. The first of the two generators is scheduled to begin operating on July 1 as Japan starts its feed-in tariff system, under which electric utilities will purchase all electricity generated by other firms and households using solar and other renewable energy sources.

In the village of Shinto, SB Energy will build a 2,400-kilowatt mega solar plant -- enough to meet demand from about 640 households -- at a site of up to 49,300 square meters owned by the village office, Softbank said. SB Energy plans to commence construction of the Shinto plant in April, with operation to start on July 1. Sharp Corp. will undertake the layout of the power-generation facilities and other work.

Power generators with a capacity of 2,800 kw will be built on a 33,200-square-meter site in Matsushige and a 35,000-square-meter plot in Komatsushima both owned by Tokushima Prefecture.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/busin...bu124000c.html

[ukiyo]

Marubeni, Univ Of Tokyo Spearhead Offshore Wind Power Project

TOKYO (Nikkei)--The University of Tokyo and a group of 10 Japanese companies, including Marubeni Corp. (8002) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (7011), have been tapped by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to help verify the large-scale offshore wind farm that the government envisions for the waters off Fukushima Prefecture.

The group will use the ministry's 12.5 billion yen earmarked from the fiscal 2011 third supplementary budget to fund the construction and the test-operation of a 2,000kw wind turbine system erected on a floating platform. The project will also entail an offshore transformer station and an undersea cable.

Marubeni will oversee the project, with University of Tokyo performing the data analysis and evaluating the technologies.

The power-generating equipment will be provided by Mitsubishi Heavy, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Ltd. (7013) subsidiary IHI Marine United Ltd., and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. (7003).

The other participating companies are Mitsubishi Corp. (8058), Nippon Steel Corp. (5401), Hitachi Ltd. (6501), Furukawa Electric Co. (5801), Shimizu Corp. (1803) and the Mizuho Information & Research Institute.

METI aims to build a 1,000-megawatt-class offshore wind farm by fiscal 2020 as part of the reconstruction effort in the region devastated by last year's tsunami and nuclear power plant disaster.

Floating wind farms have been installed on a small scale in Norway, but the Fukushima project will be larger than any existing facility.

The verification experiments are just a first step. The participants still need to work out an efficient method of power generation and pursue the cooperation of local fishermen.

http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20120306D0603A09.htm

METI Deregulation Panel Mulls Keeping Regulated Power Rates

TOKYO (Nikkei)--A Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry panel studying further deregulation of retail electricity recapped key issues Tuesday, including whether the government should maintain some regulatory control over rates.

At the end of last year, the government devised a plan to provide consumers with more choices through full deregulation. The METI panel is to thrash out the issues and draw up a detailed proposal.

Retail electricity has been deregulated in stages since 2000. Currently, large power consumers with contracts of 50kw or more, such as office buildings and factories, are allowed to sign up with any utility, and rates can be decided through negotiations. But a household can receive power only from the utility that holds a regional monopoly, and rates are fixed.

Household power rates are set under a system in which a profit margin to which utilities are entitled is added to their actual costs, such as for fuel and personnel. But this structure was dropped for commercial users. A member of the METI panel opposed any regulatory-set rates for households.

However, other members argued that regulated rates should remain an option even if there is deregulation. Under one scenario, users would have a choice between regulated and market power rates offered by a utility, in addition to market rates proposed by a newcomer.

While market rates would normally be lower than regulated rates, they could spike in emergencies, such as if an earthquake forces nuclear reactors to shut down. On the other hand, regulated rates would be less likely to rise, an attractive factor for households seeking stable supplies.

Another key issue is whether to continue to require utilities to supply power to all residents in their service areas. Although this mandate will likely be dropped through full deregulation, there is concern new power providers will not offer services in rural areas and on isolated islands.

http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20120307D0603A21.htm

[ukiyo]

Japan Unveils Deregulation Plan to Boost Clean Energy Use

Japan plans to speed up the process of environmental impact assessments for wind farms and ease regulations for solar power plants as it prepares to start a feed-in tariff program in July.

The Cabinet Office today unveiled a set of measures and policies to promote renewable energy and energy saving and reform the country’s power distribution systems.
The move comes as Japan seeks to diversify its energy mix following the devastating nuclear accident a year ago at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant.

Starting in October, wind farm developers will be required to conduct environmental surveys before starting construction. The trade ministry plans to shorten the maximum time for deliberation for each of three steps to 30 days from as many as 270 days, according to a Cabinet Office report mapping out the measures and policies.

The trade ministry will also review if solar plants should be exempted from the Factory Location Act, which requires operators to plant trees and plants at least for 25 percent of a total site, the report said. The ministry plans to reach conclusion before July.

The report included measures that have been recently implemented, such as expanding areas where geothermal developers may conduct surveys and build geothermal plants inside national parks, where more than 80 percent of the country’s resources exist. Some of the measures still need cabinet approval.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...nergy-use.html

[ukiyo]

Japan Renewable Energy Feed-In Ready for Signature

Yesterday, a government panel recommended rates for Japan's highly anticipated renewable energy feed-in tarriff (FiT), which is widely expected to make the country an important solar and geothermal market.

Japan's goal is to boost renewable generation by more than 30 gigawatts (GW) over the next decade - the equivalent of 12% of Japan's total generation capacity before the nuclear meltdown.

The FiT covers solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric.

The generous rates for providing solar to utilities are $0.52 (42 yen) per kilowatt-hour (kWh), triple the amount charged to industrial and commercial customers. The guaranteed period for receiving that rate is 20 years.

Rates for wind-generated electricity are also for 20 years and are based on size: 57.75 yen per kWh for turbines under 20 kW and 23.10 yen per kWh above that.

The rates are in line with recommendations from Japan's Photovoltaic Energy Association and slightly under the 25 yen the Japan Wind Power Association suggested for larger producers.

They are based on the costs of building and operating renewable energy plants.

Solar projects could produce equity returns of as much as 44%, and wind 51%, if the proposed rates are finalized, says Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The Fit could result in 10 GW of solar and 0.7 GW of wind capacity by 2014, representing an investment of $37.5 billion. That would make Japan the third largest solar market in the world.

Geothermal electricity would get 42 yen per kWh for plants smaller than 15,000 kW and 27.30 yen per kWh for larger plants, but only for 15 years.

The rates are a bit higher than recommended by Japan's Geothermal Developers' Council.

For hydro, the panel is recommending 25.20-35.70 yen, based on size, for 20 years, and for Biomass, 13.65-40.95 yen, depending on the kind of fuel, for 20 years.

The panel's recommendation must be approved by Industry Minister Yukio Edano to go into effect this July.

More: http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/i...splay/id/23649

[RyukyuRhymer]

Today on the front page of Tokyo Shimbun

[ukiyo]

Japan town OKs reactor restarts

The assembly in a western Japanese town that hosts a nuclear plant agreed on Monday it was necessary to restart two off-line reactors, its chairman said, the first such nod since all the country's stations were halted after the Fukushima crisis.

With power shortages looming in the region when demand peaks this summer, the central government has been trying to win approval from towns and prefectures that host reactors. All 50 reactors are off-line since the last one shut down for maintenance on May 5.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/20...800.htm/quote]

[ukiyo]

Japan’s Domestic Solar Equipment Shipments Surge 38% In Jan-Mar

Japan’s domestic shipments of solar cells and modules surged 38 percent to 392 megawatts in the first three months of this year, the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association said today.

The growth was led by the residential market, which rose 45 percent to 331 megawatts, the industry group said in a statement. Exports fell 53 percent to 163 megawatts.
For the full year ended March 31, domestic shipments rose 32 percent to 1,404 megawatts as the residential market increased 40 percent to 1,206 megawatts, the association said. Exports for that period fell 13 percent to 1,281 megawatts.

Mikio Katayama, chairman of the association, said yesterday domestic shipments will exceed 2,500 megawatts in the year ending March 2013. His remarks came as the country prepares to start preferential rate payments in July for electricity generated from renewable sources, including solar and wind.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...n-jan-mar.html

[ukiyo]

Japan to liberalize electricity supply to households

Japan plans to let households choose their electricity suppliers in 2014 at the earliest, overriding long-standing opposition from major utilities and threatening to weaken their virtual regional monopolies.

The government has been considering ways to promote competition in prices and services by reviewing the operations of the 10 regional electric power companies since the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

At a meeting of the industry ministry’s electricity system reform committee on May 18, members agreed, in principle, to allow new suppliers to begin sales to households and small stores.

The move could accelerate the use of renewable energy because households will be able to buy electricity generated with solar, wind and other natural sources.

The ministry also plans to abolish the current system that allows regional utilities to calculate rates for households, which has been criticized as too generous for the suppliers.



http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy...AJ201205210071

[RyukyuRhymer]

Originally Posted by ukiyo

Japan to liberalize electricity supply to households

good. you know Okinawa only has one company for all islands.
when compared to other places.. even Hawaii in the US has two!