JERA restarts 2.35 GW gas-fired units, Kansai area's reserve power supply ratio plunges

Japan's largest power generation company JERA said it will restart on July 8 a total of 2.35 GW gas-fired capacity spread over three units and raise electricity supply beyond nameplate capacity by 375.8 MW, as part of its response to a low reserve power supply ratio in TEPCO Power Grid's service area.

JERA said it will restart July 8 the 1 GW No. 2 and 1 GW No. 3 Sodegaura gas-fired units and 350 MW No. 2 Minami Yokohama gas-fired unit.

The company will also boost a total of 375.8 MW electricity supply over the nameplate capacity at the 600 MW No. 6 Hirono coal-fired unit; 1 GW No. 1 and 1 GW No. 2 Hitachinaka coal-fired units; 646.9 MW Shin No. 1 and 646.9 MW Shin No. 2 Anegasaki gas-fired units and the 650 MW No. 1 and 650 MW No. 2 Yokosuka coal-fired units, it said.

In its update, JERA said it will lift electricity supply beyond the nameplate capacity at the 1 GW No. 2 Sodegaura gas-fired unit; No. 1 1.167 GW Futtsu combined cycle gas-fired units; No. 4 1.521 GW Futtsu combined cycle gas-fired units and 1 GW No. 2 Higashi Ohgishima gas-fired units.

The development comes after Cross-Regional Coordination of Transmission Operators made a rare request earlier in the day, asking its member companies to boost their power supply as well as consumers in the Tokyo area to conserve their power usage until around 10 pm local time, as the integrated reserve power supply ratio is expected to hover below 5% throughout the day due to increased demand.

The OCCTO directed July 8 Chubu Electric Power Grid to supply 200 MW to TEPCO Power Grid over 9 am to noon local time (0000 to 0300 GMT) on fear of a supply crunch due to hot weather.

The direction from the OCCTO -- comprising all power companies in Japan -- comes as Tokyo's integrated reserve power supply ratio stood at 3.3% at 10-10:30 am local time July 8, with the Tokyo area's reserve power supply ratio at 2.86%, a level below the country's minimum 3% to ensure stable power supply, according to the OCCTO.

At 6-6:30 pm local time, the Hokkaido to Kyushu's integrated reserve power supply ratio is expected to be at 9.67%, while the Tokyo area's reserve power supply ratio is seen at 12.50% over the same period, according to the OCCTO.

The OCCTO, however, will likely issue extra electricity supply orders later in the day when the Kansai area's reserve power supply ratio is expected to drop to as low as 1.57% at 7 pm local time after seen falling to 2.52% at 6:30 pm from 15.34% at 3:30 pm local time.

The boost in power demand in the Tokyo area strengthened spot prices traded on the Japan Electric Power Exchange. The 24-hour day-ahead price rose to Yen 18.45/kWh for July 9 from Yen 16.51/kWh July 8 and Yen 12.15/kWh July 7.