Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd. (JAPEX) has announced that the No. 2 unit of Fukushima Natural Gas Power Plant has commenced commercial operations.
The power plant has been under construction by Fukushima Gas Power Co Ltd (FGP), which is a project company to promote the project of natural gas-fired power generation at Soma Port in Shinchi Town, Fukushima Prefecture, which JAPEX participate as the project partner.
As the basement of the project, the power plant had been under construction at Soma Port No. 4 Warf, since the investment decision in October 2016 by FGP and its shareholders: JAPEX, Mitsui & Co Ltd, Osaka Gas Co Ltd, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co Inc, and Hokkaido Electric Power Co Inc.
Together with the No.1 unit, which commenced commercial operation on 30 April 2020, the power plant’s generation capacity totals 1.18 million kW (two units of 0.59 million kW). The power plant uses regasified LNG for fuel, as it produces the lowest levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollutants among fossil fuels. The plant has also adopted gas turbine combined-cycle (GTCC), with a high generation efficiency of 61%, by utilising the latest technologies to the proven model.
The No. 2 LNG tank with 230 million litre capacity and additional regasification equipment of the second constriction phase of the Soma LNG terminal was also transferred to full scale operations alongside the No. 2 unit of the power plant. Under its contract with FGP, JAPEX conducts the management of the facilities constructed in the second construction phase, as well as the storage and regasification of LNG fuel used for power generation, and the supply of regasified gas to the power plant based on the tolling method this project applies.
