pwr_march-2024 - 8

GLOBAL MONITOR
that it has been trying to wean itself off
oil and gas as per international pressure,
but the alternative for renewable energy
production is coal! "
Sanjay Purswani, a senior analyst
with Boston Consulting Group, said,
" Post-Fukushima, Japan experienced a
significant pause in nuclear power generation.
The gradual return of nuclear
plants, once a major part of the country's
energy mix, has resulted in a reliance
on natural gas, highlighting Japan's
dependence on imported fossil fuels.
In 2019, Japan's self-sufficiency ratio
was around 12%, underscoring the vulnerability
to the volatile LNG [liquefied
natural gas] market. Currently, coal contributes
about 30% to Japan's power
mix. Despite the goal to reduce CO2
emissions, coal remains a key player
due to its affordability in providing baseload
power. Coal power plants account
for less than one-third of the electricity
emissions, positioning it as a primary focus
in Japan's decarbonization efforts. "
Purswani told POWER, " Japan's coal
power plants incorporate a range of technologies:
47% are ultrasupercritical, 28%
supercritical, and 23% subcritical, [according
to the International Energy Agency].
Notably, the upcoming coal power
plants are predominantly ultrasupercritical
units, marking a move toward higher efficiency
and reduced emissions. The Japanese
government has announced plans
to close down supercritical and subcritical
power plants by 2030. Japan's leading five
power producers have pledged significant
decarbonization targets by 2030, aiming
for a 20%-65% reduction from 2013 levels,
and a net-zero goal by 2050. These
players have announced many pilot projects
trying different solutions on these
coal power plants.
" Among various solutions for achieving
these targets, low-carbon ammonia
is gaining traction for decarbonizing coal
power generation. It offers a simpler
alternative to coal-to-gas conversions,
requiring minimal retrofits for blending
small ammonia percentages, a strategy
encouraged by the Japanese government.
Co-firing with up to 20% ammonia
is cost-effective, with potential future
adaptations allowing higher ammonia
blends for fully low-carbon ammoniapowered
plants, " said Purswani.
Purswani continued: " Japan's commitment
to these [decarbonization] goals is
evident in its proposed $113 billion investment,
a collaboration of public and
private funds for hydrogen and ammonia
technologies. This includes Contracts for
8
Difference (CfD) subsidies covering the
cost difference between coal and ammonia
over 15 to 20 years for qualifying
projects. However, the feasibility and
cost-effectiveness of large-scale ammonia
co-firing remain subjects of ongoing
evaluation. Additionally, some power
producers are exploring carbon capture
technologies for coal plants. Given Japan's
limited CO2 storage capabilities,
this approach might involve expensive
transportation of captured CO2 to other
countries. Furthermore, gasification is
being considered at a few coal power
plants in Japan, although its scope might
be constrained by the availability of biomass
feedstock. "
Sharma told POWER that Japan will
continue to rely on coal-fired power as
" a practical solution to immediate energy
needs, " but noted that " the environmental
impact cannot be overlooked.
The continued use of coal poses significant
environmental challenges, and
Japan must balance these against its energy
requirements. In response, Japan
is implementing various environmental
policies, such as stricter emissions standards
for coal plants and investment in
carbon capture technologies, to mitigate
the impact of its coal reliance. "
Sharma said that the measures taken
by Japan's government to ensure the
country's energy supply will be impacted
by what happens in other countries.
" The future of coal-fired power in Japan,
therefore, hinges on a delicate balance
between advancing green technology,
adapting to global energy market dynamics,
and responding to environmental
imperatives, " Sharma said. " Considering
the current geopolitical tensions, elections
in 40 nations, the anticipated global
slowdown this year, and the pace of
natural calamities, one should conclude
it is going to be a few years before we
see the shift [away from coal]. The acceleration
of innovation could help Japan
shorten the transition. In summary, Japan's
reliance on coal-fired power, in the
context of its net-zero goals, reflects a
multifaceted challenge. Balancing energy
security with environmental commitments,
economic considerations,
and technological advancements defines
Japan's current energy strategy and will
shape its energy future. "
-Darrell Proctor is a senior associate
editor for POWER.
UK's Drax Eyes U.S. for Bioenergy
CCS Expansion Drive
The 2.6-GW Drax Power Station in northeastern
England-once Western Europe's
largest coal-fired power plant-is
poised to pioneer bioenergy with carbon
capture and storage (BECCS), a negative
emissions technology. In a move
to establish a stronghold on emerging
prospects for BECCS, Drax Group has
now also set out to launch an independent
business unit to develop and build
new BECCS plants in the U.S.
The move is a remarkable step for
Drax Group, a company with roots
that go back to 1967. After the discovery
of the Selby coalfield-a deep
underground resource in North Yorkshire-the
UK's state-owned Central
Electricity Generating Board commissioned
Drax Power Station (Figure 2),
and the first phase of the plant, comprising
three 660-MW units equipped
with Babcock and Wilcox subcritical
boilers, was completed in 1975. The
Drax plant doubled its capacity in 1986
to nearly 4 GW, and in 1988, it pioneered
flue gas desulfurization (FGD)
in the UK. After a series of ownership
shuffles following the privatization of
the UK power sector in the 1990s, Drax
Group was founded in 2005.
2. Today, Drax Power Station near Selby in North Yorkshire, UK, includes four 645-MW biomass-fired
units. Once one of Europe's largest coal-fired power plants, the facility is now the
site of innovation for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), a negative emissions
technology. Courtesy: Drax Group
www.powermag.com
POWER | March 2024

http://www.powermag.com

pwr_march-2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of pwr_march-2024