Japan’s J-Power steps up coal-fired power phase-out

Spanish Market: Coal, Electricity, Emissions, Fertilizers
10/05/24

Japanese power producer and wholesaler J-Power is stepping up efforts to halt operations of inefficient coal-fired power plants, while pushing ahead with decarbonisation of its existing plants by using clean fuels and technology.

J-Power plans to scrap the 500MW Matsushima No.1 coal-fired unit by the end of March 2025 and the 250MW Takasago No.1 and No.2 coal-fired units by 2030, according to its 2024-26 business strategy announced on 9 May. It also aims to decommission or mothball the 700MW Takehara No.3 and the 1,000MW Matsuura No.1 coal-fired units in 2030.

The combined capacity of the selected five coal-fired units accounts for 32pc of J-Power's total thermal capacity of 8,412MW, all fuelled by coal.

While phasing out its ageing coal-fired capacity, J-Power is looking to co-fire with fuel ammonia at the 2,100MW Tachibanawan coal-fired plant sometime after 2030 and ensure it runs on 100pc ammonia subsequently. The company plans to increase the mixture of biomass at the 600MW Takehara No.1 unit, along with the installation of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology after 2030. The CCS technology will be also applied to the 1,000MW Matsuura No.2 unit, which is expected to co-fire ammonia, after 2030.

J-Power plans to use hydrogen at the 1,200MW Isogo plant sometime after 2035. The company is also set to deploy integrated coal gasification combined-cycle and CCS technology at the 500MW Matsushima No.2 unit and the 150MW Ishikawa No.1 and No.2 units after 2035.

The company aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions from its domestic power generation by 46pc by the April 2030-March 2031 fiscal year against 2013-14 levels before achieving a net zero emissions goal by 2050. This is in line with Tokyo's emissions reduction target. The company aims to expand domestic annual renewable output by 4TWh by 2030-31 compared with 2022-23, along with decarbonising thermal capacity. Its renewable generation totalled 10.4TWh in 2023-24.

Tokyo has pledged to phase out existing inefficient coal-fired capacity by 2030, which could target units with less than 42pc efficiency. The country's large-scale power producers have reduced annual power output from their inefficient coal-fired fleet by 13TWh to 103TWh in 2022-23 against 2019-20, according to a document unveiled by the trade and industry ministry on 8 May. It expects such power generation will fall further by more than 60TWh to 39.700TWh in 2030-31.

Global pressure against coal-fired power generation has been growing. Energy ministers from G7 countries in late April pledged to phase out "unabated coal power generation" by 2035 or "in a timeline consistent with keeping a limit of 1.5°C temperature rise within reach, in line with countries' net zero pathways".

By Motoko Hasegawa

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21/04/25

India’s thermal coal imports ease in March

Singapore, 21 April (Argus) — India's thermal coal imports in March fell on the year for the seventh consecutive month, pressured by rising domestic output and high inventories even as coal-fired generation expanded. The country imported 14.1mn t of thermal coal in March, down by 1.2pc from a year earlier, but up by over 24pc from 11.33mn t in February, according to data from shipbroker Interocean. Coal arrivals declined year-on-year across key origins barring Indonesia and South Africa. India's cumulative imports over January-March stood at 38.3mn t, down by 8.6pc from 41.9mn t in the same period a year earlier, according to Interocean data. Demand for imported coal fell as domestic availability continued to rise. The combined output from state-controlled Coal India (CIL), Singareni Collieries (SCCL) and captive blocks reached 118.54mn t in March, up by 1.6pc from a year earlier, according to data from the country's coal ministry. Overall supplies stood at 94.94mn t, up by 5.1pc from a year earlier. Combined coal supplies to utilities from domestic sources stood at 78.46mn t in March, up by 6.3pc from a year earlier and up from 69.61mn t in February, coal ministry data show. The increase in domestic coal output and supplies helped utilities to increase stocks to cater for an increase in coal consumption at power plants in March. But the higher domestic coal availability pressured imports. The country's coal-fired generation reached 117.95TWh in March, up from 112.82TWh a year earlier and well above the 106.18TWh in February, according to Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data. Higher temperatures and increased air conditioning use lifted coal-fired output in March. Coal burn at utilities could remain elevated over the summer months and exacerbate drawdowns from stocks at power plants and at coal producer CIL. Combined coal inventories at Indian power plants stood at 58.11mn t as of 31 March, up from 50.69mn t a year earlier, and up from 54.59mn t on 28 February, the CEA said. Inventories at CIL reached an all-time high of 106.8mn t as of 31 March, up from 89.41mn t a year earlier. Import mix Imports from Indonesia grew to 9.68mn t in March from 9.23mn t a year earlier, and were sharply higher from 6.75mn t in February, Interocean data show. Indonesia continued to be the primary supplier of imported coal to India in March, accounting for nearly 69pc of overall thermal coal imports, up from almost 60pc in February. Imports from South Africa, a source favoured by coal-consuming industries like sponge iron, rose by 72pc from a year earlier to 2.32mn t, but fell from 2.42mn t in February. Demand from India's coal-intensive sponge iron industry, which is a major consumer of South African NAR 5,500 kcal/kg coal, remained resilient following a stimulus measure from the Indian government to introduce steel safeguards , which in turn has driven domestic sponge iron prices higher. By Ajay Modi India thermal coal imports in March 2025 t Origin Quantity % ± m-o-m % ± y-o-y Indonesia 9,684,944 43.4 5 South Africa 2,323,265 -4 72.1 USA 1,132,417 66.8 -17.1 Russia 435,120 -27.1 -20.8 Mozambique 68,306 -42.7 -85.7 Others 458,288 -21.4 -44.1 Total 14,102,340 24.4 -1.2 Source: Interocean Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

IMF anticipates lower growth from US tariffs

17/04/25

IMF anticipates lower growth from US tariffs

Washington, 17 April (Argus) — Economic growth projections set for release next week will include "notable markdowns" caused by higher US tariffs that have been disrupting trade and stressing financial markets, IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said today. The IMF earlier this month warned that the tariffs that President Donald Trump was placing on trading partners could pose a "significant risk" to the global economy. Those higher trade barriers are on track to reduce growth, raise prices for consumers and create incremental costs related to uncertainty, the IMF plans to say in its World Economic Outlook on 22 April. "Our new growth projections will include notable markdowns, but not recession," Georgieva said Thursday in a speech previewing the outlook. "We will also see markups to the inflation forecasts for some countries." Trump has already placed an across-the-board 10pc tariff on most trading partners, with higher tariffs on some goods from Canada and Mexico, a 145pc tariff on China, and an exception for most energy imports. Those tariffs — combined with Trump's on-again, off-again threats to impose far higher tariffs — have been fueling uncertainty for businesses and trading partners. The recent tariff "increases, pauses, escalations and exemption" will likely have significant consequences for the global economy, Georgieva said, resulting in a postponement of investment decisions, ships at sea not knowing where to sail, precautionary savings and more volatile financial markets. Higher tariffs will cause an upfront hit to economic growth, she said, and could cause a shift in trade under which some sectors could be "flooded by cheap imports" while other sectors face shortages. The IMF has yet to release its latest growth projections. But in January, IMF expected global growth would hold steady at 3.3pc this year with lower inflation. The IMF at the time had forecast the US economy would grow by 2.7pc, with 1pc growth in Europe and 4.5pc growth in China. The upcoming markdown in growth projections from the IMF aligns with analyses from many banks and economists. US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on 16 April said the recent increase in tariffs were likely to contribute to "higher inflation and slower growth". Those comments appear to have infuriated Trump, who has wanted Powell to cut interest rates in hopes of stimulating growth in the US. "Powell's termination cannot come fast enough!" Trump wrote today on social media. Powell's term as chair does not end until May 2026. Under a longstanding US Supreme Court case called Humphrey's Executor , Trump does not have the authority to unilaterally fire commissioners at independent agencies such as the Federal Reserve. Trump has already done so at other agencies such as the US Federal Trade Commission, creating a potential avenue to overturn the decision. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US' Chinese ship port fee decision Thursday: USTR

16/04/25

US' Chinese ship port fee decision Thursday: USTR

New York, 16 April (Argus) — The US Trade Representative's (USTR) office said it will release details Thursday on proposed fees for operators of Chinese-built ships calling at US ports. The closely-watched proposals — part of President Donald Trump's plan to kick-start a flagging US shipbuilding industry and challenge Chinese dominance in the sector — were the subject of hearings and public comments last month in Washington, DC. The original proposal included fees of up to $1.5mn per port call for ships based on the percentage of Chinese-built vessels in an operator's fleet. Shipping market participants said the proposals could significantly curtail US import and exports and hurt the broader economy. Higher costs for shipping would likely be passed on to US consumers . Since the public hearings, the USTR has signaled that the fees would likely be less onerous than under the original proposal, and that not all of them would be implemented . By Charlotte Bawol Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Japan to develop geothermal power under net zero plan

16/04/25

Japan to develop geothermal power under net zero plan

Osaka, 16 April (Argus) — The Japanese government is gearing up to develop geothermal energy, as the clean power can help to decarbonise the power sector with stable output, unlike weather-dependent renewables such as solar and wind. The trade and industry ministry Meti on 14 April launched a public-private council to discuss the development of next-generation geothermal energy, aiming to formulate a draft guideline, including capacity and cost targets, by around October this year. The new technology could lift the country's potential geothermal capacity to at least 77GW, compared with 23.5GW based on conventional methods, according to the council. The draft plan aims to establish the next-generation geothermal technology as early as the 2030s, to expand the use of the clean energy with competitive prices toward 2040, while tacking geological challenges, such as fault and complex geology, in Japan. Should the next-generation technology, such as closed-loop and supercritical geothermal, prove practical, Japan could utilise its potential, said Meti minister Yoji Muto on 15 April. Japan could consider exporting the next-generation technology globally, as it has around 70pc global share in conventional geothermal turbines, he added. The geothermal strategy is in line with the country's new strategic energy plan (SEP) , which was published in February, as well as prime minister Shigeru Ishiba's push to develop geothermal capacity. Ishiba had focused on less-utilised and high potential geothermal, as well as micro-hydropower, during his [campaign for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential election](https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2608517) last year. The SEP assumes geothermal will account for 1-2pc of Japan's power mix in the April 2040-March 2041 fiscal year, which is relatively marginal compared with other renewables such as solar at 23-29pc, wind at 4-8pc, hydroelectric at 8-10pc and biomass at 5-6pc. But even the small share would be much higher compared with its actual share of 0.3pc of total power generation in 2023-24. Diversification of renewable power sources would be necessary to achieve Japan's plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 60pc in 2035-36 and by 73pc in 2040-41, respectively, against the 2013-14 level, before achieving its net zero goal in 2050. Under the SEP, Tokyo aims to reduce its dependence on thermal power to 30-40pc in 2040-41 from 71pc in 2024. Japanese private firms are already involved in further developing domestic and overseas geothermal projects. Japanese utility Hokkaido Electric Power and construction firm Obayashi said on 16 April that they will study potential geothermal resources in Hokkaido during April 2025-February 2026, taking advantage of subsidies provided by state-owned energy agency Jogmec. Japanese battery maker Panasonic Energy said on 8 April that it has signed a power purchase agreement with regional utility Kyushu Electric Power's renewable arm Kyushu Mirai Energy to secure around 50GWh/yr of geothermal-based electricity from 1 April. The stable geothermal supplies, unaffected by weather, could double a renewable ratio in its domestic power consumption to around 30pc, Panasonic said. By Motoko Hasegawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Australia's Fortescue announces electric drills deal

16/04/25

Australia's Fortescue announces electric drills deal

Sydney, 16 April (Argus) — Australian iron ore and energy company Fortescue has announced a A$350mn ($222mn) deal with Swedish firm Epiroc to buy over 50 electric drill rigs aimed at reducing emissions at its iron ore operations in Western Australia (WA). Fortescue expects the drills to reduce annual diesel consumption by around 35mn litres once it fully replaces diesel-powered equipment by 2030. The new fleet will cut more than 90,000t of CO2 emissions annually, Fortescue Metals chief executive officer Dino Otranto said on 16 April. The fleet includes autonomous electric platform and contour drills, and the first equipment arrived at Fortescue's Solomon mine in early April. The deal is part of the company's plan to replace its diesel-powered equipment by 2030. It signed a $2.8bn deal with Swiss-German manufacturer Liebherr in 2024 for a battery-powered truck fleet for its mining operations. Fortescue plans to replace around 800 pieces of heavy mining equipment with zero emissions equivalents and deploy 2-3GW of renewable energy and battery storage across the Pilbara region by the end of this decade, Otranto said. Fortescue is currently building a 190MW solar farm at its Cloudbreak mine, which will reduce annual diesel consumption by a further 125mn l. Safeguard mechanism results The company reported covered scope 1 emissions of 1.96mn t of CO2e across seven facilities in the first compliance year of Australia's reformed safeguard mechanism , which was just over 100,000t of CO2e above a combined baseline of 1.85mn t of CO2e. Facilities earn Safeguard Mechanism Credits (SMCs) under the scheme if their emissions are below baseline or must surrender Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) or SMCs if emissions are above the threshold. Fortescue earned 49,749 SMCs for its Solomon Power Station and surrendered the units across four other facilities that exceeded their baselines. It also surrendered 57,753 ACCUs, while two of its facilities — the Christmas Creek Mine and Eliwana Mine — will have to manage a combined excess of 49,382t of CO2e in future under applications for multi-year monitoring periods (MYMP), which allow eligible facilities to report under the safeguard scheme for periods of up to five years ( see table ). Fortescue expected to exceed emissions baselines by around 120,000t of CO2e in the 2023-24 year, it said in 2024. ACCU generic, generic (No AD) and human-induced regeneration (HIR) spot prices have remained below A$35 ($22) over the past two months, having declined steadily from mid-November because of lower buying interest from safeguard companies and strong SMC issuances. By Juan Weik and Susannah Cornford Fortescue's 2023-24 safeguard mechanism results t CO2e Facility Covered emissions Baseline ACCUs surrendered SMCs surrendered SMCs issued MYMP net position Solomon Mine 452,137 390,033 42,926 19,178 Solomon Power Station 316,859 366,608 49,749 Christmas Creek Mine 372,251 351,986 20,265 Cloudbreak Mine 295,132 267,459 8,411 19,262 Rail 254,871 241,706 4,002 9,163 Eliwana Mine 164,894 135,777 29,117 Iron Bridge Mine 104,560 100,000 2,414 2,146 Total 1,960,704 1,853,569 57,753 49,749 49,749 49,382 Source: Clean Energy Regulator Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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