Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2016 July 20 - 26 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Unpublished data on environmental impact found in new coal-fired power plant projects

A plan to construct new coal-fired thermal power plants has been announced in Japan in line with the Abe government policy of promoting coal-fired electricity as one of the major energy sources along with nuclear energy. The environmental NPO Kiko Network has recently revealed that some operators of the planned power stations are refusing to disclose environment-related information including data on air pollutant emissions.

According to Kiko Network, the number of planned coal-fired power stations totals 48 and seven of them are exempted from environmental impact assessments because they are small in size. The NPO obtained documents regarding the seven construction projects, such as construction plans and reports on projected soot emissions through the information disclosure request.

Kiko Network has found that the operators of four projects out of the seven submitted the requested documents only after blacking out parts of the documents. For example, regarding the planned power station in Okayama’s Kurashiki City, the project manager refused to make public what type of power generators will be used, the amount and density of air pollutants to be discharged, and when construction work and commercial operation will start.

Regarding the three other projects, Kiko Network also found problems in the obtained documents. The planned power plants in Miyagi’s Ishinomaki, Shizuoka’s Fuji, and Aichi’s Chita will employ an outdated power generation technology which was used in the 1950s. A coal-fired power station using this technology emits 2.6 times more CO2 than an LNG-fired power plant. That is why OECD advises member nations to refrain from exporting this high-emission technology to developing countries.

In addition, a power station which will be built in Miyagi’s Sendai City is expected to emit SOx, NOx, and soot at ten times higher concentration than that from currently operating power stations.

In the first place, small-scale thermal power stations produce 10% more CO2 than large-scale ones. Admitting this gap in CO2 efficiency, the government last year set up a working group on environmental protection measures in response to a rise in the number of small-scale thermal power stations. The working group has yet to hammer out concrete measures, but some utilities have already started power plant construction without disclosing detailed information to the public.

Iyoda Masayoshi, a researcher at Kiko Network, pointed out that operators refuse to disclose environment-related data on the grounds that the disclosure will hamper their business activities. Iyoda said that he suspects that pollutant emission levels are so high that the operators do not dare to reveal the information.

The Kiko Network researcher explained that in the government working group’s meetings, electric power industry representatives repeatedly made anachronistic remarks that environmental impact assessments take too much time.

Iyoda argued that all power stations irrespective of size should undergo environmental impact assessments. He added that if burned in power stations, coal causes damage to the natural environment more than any other type of fossil fuel. Iyoda stressed that any plan to construct a coal-fired power station should be reconsidered regardless of their size.

Past related articles:
> Environment Ministry gives approval to construction of more coal-fired power stations [February 10, 2016]
> Japan’s plan to build 48 new coal-fired power plants contradicts global efforts to combat climate change [November 27, 2015]