TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's biggest power generator JERA said on Friday it plans to restart coal and biomass co-firing at its Taketoyo thermal power station in central Japan around the end of the fiscal year beginning April 2026, following a fire.
Taketoyo has a power generation capacity of 1,070 megawatts, making it among the largest in Japan. The fire broke out at the station on Jan. 31, leading to the suspension of plant operations shortly after.
JERA, an unlisted company jointly owned by Tokyo Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power, said it would initially resume operation with a biomass co-firing rate of 8%, below the originally planned 17%, as a precautionary measure to prevent similar incidents.
Under the fundamental premise of ensuring safety, the utility will consider increasing the co-firing rate, it said in a statement.
As a provisional measure, the utility will conduct coal-only operations during high-demand winter and summer seasons starting around January 2025 to ensure a stable electricity supply.
However, to align with its goal of reducing CO2 emissions, JERA plans to proceed with the planned reduction of operations at Taketoyo, it added.