Japan Will Build Coal Power Plants

 Japanese companies are planning to develop about 45 additional coal power plants in the next decade, as the country gradually ramps up its nuclear power generation following the Fukushima disaster in 2011, the US Energy Information Administration said Thursday.

"The country is installing new, clean coal plant technologies, such as ultra-supercritical units or integrated gasification combined-cycle technology, to meet environmental targets and to replace some of the decades-old coal power plants," EIA said, Platts reported.

While no significant coal-fired capacity is expected to come online before 2020, the 45 new coal power plants are expected to add more than 20 GW of capacity in the next decade, it said.

"The pace of development depends on how many nuclear units can return to service and whether the government will grant environmental approvals to each coal-fired power plant in light of Japan's commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emission levels by 2030," it said.

Coal's share in Japan's power sector was an estimated 23% before the Fukushima disaster in 2011 and rose to 31% by 2015.