Japanese electric power companies plan to establish eight plants fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the next five years, a move aimed at slashing carbon dioxide emissions, a report said May 6.
Of the projected LNG-burning power plants, four will be newly-built and four will be converted from plants that currently use coal or petrol as fuel, the business daily Nikkei reported. When they go into operation, it will slash carbon dioxide emissions from thermal plants by 8%, the report said.
Thermal power plants -- either coal, gas or oil -- account for nearly 30% of all emissions of carbon dioxides and other greenhouse gases in the country, the Nikkei said. As LNG contains less carbon than other types of energy, an LNG power plant emits 40%-50% less carbon dioxide than a coal-burning unit and 20%-30% less than an oil-fired facility, the report said.
In five years, only two of Japan's 10 electric power companies will be without an LNG-burning power plant. At present, nuclear power plants account for 30% of overall power generation in Japan, followed by 26% by LNG units, 24% by coal units, 10% by petrol units and 9% by hydroelectric plants.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007
