Kiko Network has published the position paper "Japan doesn’t need 10 GW of new LNG-fired power plants: It needs a Strategic Energy Plan with a roadmap to phase out thermal power" in October 2024.
To keep the global average temperature rise below 1.5°C, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be drastically reduced. To this end, the electricity sector, which accounts for about 40% of Japan’s energy-derived CO2 emissions, must drastically reduce the use of fossil fuels and dramatically expand the deployment of renewable energy. Japan’s stance on LNG-fired power generation cannot be ignored in this discussion.
Previously, LNG-fired power generation has mostly escaped scrutiny, having been in the shadows of coal-fired power, which has a higher emission factor and relatively higher emissions. Meanwhile, the government has emphasized LNG for its role as a “transition fuel” and “grid balancing” to compensate for the variable output of renewable energy. Since 2013, while old facilities have been decommissioned, about 24 gigawatts (GW) of new LNG-fired generation capacity has been put into operation. In addition, utilities are making plans to build about 7.15 GW of new capacity from 2024 onward. As part of this new construction, participants in the so-called “Long-term Decarbonized Power Auction,” successfully won contracts for 5.756 GW as long-term decarbonized electricity providers, and economic support is to be provided from the construction phase onward.
However, it is clear that any plans premised on the continued use of this new LNG-fired power generation would not be consistent with the 1.5°C target. To achieve the 1.5°C target, Japan should be halting any future construction plans for LNG-fired power plants and start drawing up a path to phase out LNG-fired thermal power generation.
This paper summarizes the current issues and makes recommendations for the phase-out of LNG-fired power generation, an imperative that Japan cannot ignore if it is to decarbonize the electricity sector.
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【Position Paper】Japan doesn’t need 10 GW of new LNG-fired power plants: It needs a Strategic Energy Plan with a roadmap to phase out thermal power
