[Japan] Kansai Electric Power Reported Current Status of Power Outages due to Damages from Typhoon Jebi and Quick Restoration Measures

Kansai Electric Power announced the current status of widespread power outages due to damage from the powerful Typhoon Jebi, which hit western Japan. As of September 6, 2018, nearly 2,184,000 customers had experienced power failures in the Kansai region of Japan, and 311,000 homes still remained without power. The most devastating blackout area was Osaka Prefecture, with a total of 1.026 million households affected, followed by Hyogo (App. 418,000) and Wakayama (App. 327,000)[1] prefectures.

As a result of the significant damage that the typhoon inflicted on Kansai Electric Power’s transmission and distribution infrastructure, the company will face a prolonged restoration effort. In order to support the efforts to restore power, the company announced on September 5, 2018, that it had requested 40 high-voltage generator cars and approximately 240 utility workers from neighboring power electric companies such as Chugoku Electric Power, Shikoku Electric Power, and Kyushu Electric Power, based on their cooperative assistance agreements regarding emergency disasters. High-voltage generator cars will be connected to distribution equipment to temporarily transmit electricity. However, the installation locations have not yet been determined.[2]

[1] http://www.kepco.co.jp/souhaiden/pr/2018/pdf/0904_32j_00.pdf

[2] http://www.kepco.co.jp/souhaiden/pr/2018/0905_1j.html

[Japan] Osaka Gas and Growing Energy Labs Agreed to Conduct a Joint VPP and Storage Batteries Demonstration Project

On August 7, 2018, Osaka Gas entered into an agreement with a San Francisco-based software start-up company, Growing Energy Labs (Geli), to launch a joint demonstration project to optimize the operation of storage batteries using a virtual power plant (VPP) software platform. The project will be implemented at “NEXT21”, an Osaka Gas experimental housing unit, and at Imazu Ground, another testing site, addressing the needs of residential customers and commercial users respectively. In order to evaluate new Internet of Energy* services using accumulator batteries, the project will adopt Geli’s VPP software platform and energy storage control technology, which is already in use in the U.S. and Australia.

Given the extensive deployment of renewable energy resources in Japan, particularly solar power, it is expected that the need for VPP platforms will increase in the future to address grid instability. In order to acquire key knowledge about VPP and storage battery control technologies, Osaka Gas invested in Geli in March this year, and has been preparing for this demonstration project. As part of the project, the co-optimization between PV self-consumption and the frequency response control will be tested at the NEXT21 site. The Imazu Ground site will be used to evaluate the co-optimization between the demand charge management and the frequency response control, based on the expected customer needs for commercial and industrial use.

* “Internet of Energy” refers to the implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies into distributed energy systems to optimize the efficiency of energy infrastructure and demand-side management.

[Japan] Osaka Gas Offered a New Electricity Rate Menu “Style Plan” to Meet Customer’s Lifestyle and Individual Needs

Osaka Gas announced on August 1, 2018, that it has started offering a new electricity rate menu “style plan” that corresponds to its customers’ lifestyle and individual needs. As its first step, Osaka Gas began its “Style Plan P” service for Amazon Prime members. Osaka Gas plans to continue to diversify its rate plans by providing different types of electricity rate menus in addition to its existing base rate plan.

Osaka Gas customers that subscribe to the "Style Plan P" service can save money regardless of their electricity usage compared with the total cost of paying for both Amazon Prime’s annual fee and Kansai Electric Power Company's metered electricity “Plan A.” Based on Osaka Gas’s model, the average residential customer will save about 5,400 yen per year.

Furthermore, in April 2018 Osaka Gas began to offer some additional features to its customers in collaboration with Amazon Alexa. Customers can use Alexa’s voice services to check their gas and electricity usage amounts and fees, and can control their gas equipment through the Amazon Echo smart speaker.

[Japan] NEDO Completed Japan’s First Barge-Type Floating Offshore Wind Power Generation System

On August 10, 2018, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), along with other industrial partners, completed the development of a demonstration system for a next-generation floating offshore wind power generation system. The system is equipped with Japan’s first barge-type floating body and is paired with a compact 2-blade upwind-type wind turbine, which can be placed in shallow water areas up to a depth of approximately 50m. To ensure its safety even in severe weather and oceanic conditions, the system is equipped with 9 mooring systems, consisting of a combination of stud-less chains and high holding power anchors.

The NEDO-led consortium consists of Marubeni Corporation, Hitachi Zosen, Glocal, EcoPower, University of Tokyo, and Kyuden Mirai Energy. During the development process, Marubeni was responsible for cost analysis and coordinating with related organizations. Hitachi Zosen was engaged in designing the floating bodies, manufacturing, and installation work. Glocal played a central role in turbine selection and mooring systems development, while EcoPower was responsible for the environmental impact assessment. The University of Tokyo oversaw the performance evaluation of the system as well as outreach activities, and Kyuden Mirai Energy was in charge of grid interconnection and power quality evaluation.

NEDO will test the system in the sea area off the coast of Kitakyushu city by connecting electric power cables. After the test, the system will start its demonstration period from this fall to the end of FY2021. The electricity generated by the system will be transmitted to Kyushu Electric Power’s grid system.

[Japan] TEPCO and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Jointly Launched a Remote Monitoring Service to Improve the Operational Efficiency of Thermal Power Plants

On July 13, 2018, Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) subsidiary, Tokyo Fuel & Power and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) jointly announced that they had begun to offer a remote monitoring service to improve the operational efficiency of thermal power plants. The service includes the early detection of abnormal conditions, remote monitoring, cause analysis, and countermeasures, by using an IoT platform integrated with data. Their initial customer for the service is the Pagbilao Power Plant in the Philippines, a coal-fired power plant operated by TeaM Energy Corporation. The service will enable the Pagbilao power station to improve its operational efficiency and reduce its future operation and maintenance (O&M) costs. The remote monitoring service is one of the O&M solutions and services that both companies would like to pursue in the region.

TEPCO and the MHPS are aiming to establish a joint business that will aggressively provide O&M solutions and services for coal-fired power plants in the Southeast Asia region, where each firm can utilize its own operational infrastructure and existing resources. In September 2016, both companies signed a business alliance agreement to improve the operational efficiency of domestic and overseas thermal power plants. Since then, they have been working together to jointly develop O&M solutions and services for thermal power generation. In April 2017, the two companies began to demonstrate a service for thermal power plants that applied a jointly developed abnormality prediction model. The model integrates TEPCO’s knowledge of O&M solutions with MHPS’ capabilities in design, construction and after-sales services.

[Japan] Tohoku Electric Power Launched Customer-Assisted Smarter Project for Monitoring Newly Developed Services

Tohoku Electric Power announced on July 11, 2018 that it has launched a Customer-Assisted Smarter Project, which aims to monitor and verify the effectiveness of new services to ensure comfortable and convenient lifestyles for customers. By using information technologies such as IoT, AI, and communication robots, the project will verify the feasibility and user-friendliness of two newly-developed services: the lifestyle assistance communication robot BOCCO, and a service for providing advice on how to save energy when using home appliances. The project is scheduled to be carried out from July 11, 2018, to the end of August 2019 and the utility is looking for 170 participants to be monitored as part of the project.

The BOCCO robot will demonstrate its multiple remote-control functions, such as helping family members to monitor the current conditions in a house and notify them via smartphones, turning the air conditioner on/off from outside through the devices, and automatically controlling the air conditioning system in a house by predicting the optimal air conditioning operating time, based on weather information and the current temperature and humidity in the room. Separately, the project will also monitor the effectiveness of a service providing consumers with emails or SNS messages with energy-saving advice for home appliances. The service advises customers on how to use home appliances to save energy and reduce costs, based on an electricity usage prediction system that has been jointly developed by Tohoku Electric Power and Mitsubishi Electric, using data collected from smart meters.

[Japan] Japan Atomic Energy Commission Published the White Paper on Nuclear Energy 2017

On July 5, 2018, the Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) under the Cabinet Office, government of Japan, published the White Paper on Nuclear Energy 2017. The paper summarizes the current state of the Japanese nuclear energy industry’s development and its nuclear safety activities, and recent changes in attitudes surrounding nuclear energy. It also highlights the importance of stakeholders’ participation in activities, based on lessons learned from the Fukushima accident. The white paper stresses the need to strengthen interactive dialogues between government officials/industry members and the public, encourage public engagement and provide the public with accurate information and objective facts, to reduce public distrust and anxiety about nuclear energy, which remains after 7 years since the accident. The paper also underlines the importance of maintaining the long-term stable use of nuclear power, as it is necessary for greenhouse gas reduction.

The White Paper on Nuclear Energy has been released annually since 1956 through 2010, the year before the Fukushima accident. The subsequent issues after the 2009 edition were suspended, as the Japanese government was responding to the Fukushima accident and was considering the reform of the JAEC at the time. The White Paper was resumed for the first time last year. 

[Japan] NEDO Published its Annual Report on Wind Power Generation Facilities and Installed Capacity in Japan for FY 2017

On June 28, 2018, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) announced the publication of its annual report on wind power generation facilities and installed capacity in Japan for FY 2017, as of the end of March 2018. The cumulative installed wind power capacity increased by 4.3% from the previous year to about 3.5 million kW, and the installed facilities increased by 2.5% to 2,253 units. In FY 2017, 54 wind power generation facilities with approximately 150,000 kW of capacity were installed.

NEDO publishes an updated report every fiscal year which highlights the current results of Japan’s wind power generation facilities and their installed capacity, based on interview surveys with Japanese power producers. The survey targets all grid-connected wind power energy producers with single-unit output of over 10 kW and total output of 20 kW or more. The survey’s questions include the wind power facility’s operating date, the name of the installer and manufacturer, the location (prefecture and municipality), total output, rated output, and the number of installed wind power facilities, etc.

[Japan] Hitachi Zosen Developed the Largest Megawatt-Class Solid Polymer-Type Hydrogen Generator

Hitachi Zosen announced that it has developed the largest solid polymer-type hydrogen generator in Japan. The generator uses water electrolysis to produce 200 Nm3/h of hydrogen, and can store surplus electricity at a megawatt-class power generation facility. Hitachi Zosen will launch its demonstration experiments later this year and aims to start sales in FY2019. Hitachi Zosen has been engaged in the development of hydrogen generators since 1974, when it joined the Sunshine Project funded by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI, now METI, the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry).

Hydrogen generators electrolyze water to produce high purity hydrogen that can be stored by using the excessive power generated by renewable energies such as wind and solar. To enlarge its electrolytic cell, which is the heart of the generator, Hitachi Zosen successfully combined electrolytic technology with filter press technology. In addition, the generator is cheap to install, since it is a portable-type generator that can be stored in a 40-ft container.

[Japan] Atomic Energy Association Newly Established to Improve Nuclear Safety

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (JAIF), a quasi non-governmental organization, announced on June 15, 2018 that it will establish the Atomic Energy Association (ATENA) on July 1st, which will aim to improve nuclear safety by utilizing knowledge and resources from throughout the nuclear industry. The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan and the Japan Electrical Manufacturer’s Association have been preparing for ATENA’s establishment since April, and ATENA’s original members will be composed of 19 corporations and organizations, including Japan-based power companies and major manufacturers.

ATENA will play an important role in leading efforts to enhance higher levels of nuclear safety, by promoting the introduction of effective safety measures to tackle the common issues throughout the nuclear industry, opening dialogues with regulators about safety improvements, and by communicating with stakeholders. The organization has set up a Steering Conference where members can participate to identify issues to be addressed in the nuclear industry. An expert working group will carry out technical discussions on various issues. ATENA will also publish an annual technical report with updates on the current progress by nuclear generators in implementing the safety measures.

ATENA will also collaborate with the Japan Nuclear Safety Institute (JANSI) to share information and resources[1], and will support JANSI’s activities. JANSI is a civilian third-party organization established in 2012 in response to the need to improve nuclear plants’ operational safety after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident. JANSI encourages and evaluates operators’ efforts to voluntarily improve their performance and adhere to the governments’ regulatory standards.[2]

[1] http://www.jaif.or.jp/180615-1

[2] http://www.genanshin.jp/association/establishment.html

[Japan] TEPCO, NEC Corporation, Global Engineering and 17 Other Companies Launched a Virtual Power Plant Project to Aggregate Energy Resources

Tokyo Electric Power, NEC Corporation, Global Engineering and 17 other companies launched a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Project on June 6, 2018. The project aims to build a VPP to aggregate energy resources. In FY 2018, the group will improve and demonstrate the systems used by Aggregation Coordinators[1] to accommodate changes in electricity energy supply and demand and will examine different approaches to stabilize the distribution system.

Japan has been promoting the introduction of renewable energy as part of its measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, due to the rapid introduction of renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic power generation, various problems that affect power systems are emerging, such as output fluctuations and excess power generation. TEPCO and its partner companies will work on building a VPP to adjust and distribute energy resources at the megawatt level in order to introduce renewable energy while stabilizing the power system.[2]

This project is being conducted as part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)’s FY2018 Demonstration Project on Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Utilizing Demand Side Energy Resources, an initiative that will invest 4 billion yen to fund various VPP demonstration projects over FY 2018. The initiative will focus on implementing control technologies in VPPs with over 50 MW capacity by 2020, as part of METI’s goals to increase renewable energy usage.[3]

[1] Aggregation Coordinators are organizations that aggregate energy resources, which are controlled by resource aggregators through VPP service contracts, and directly trade with transmission/distribution service providers and electricity retailers.

[2] http://www.tepco.co.jp/press/release/2018/1495474_8707.html

[3] Virtual Power Plants - Support From the Government (PDF)

[Japan] NEDO Completed the Construction of a Barge-type Floating Body for Next-Generation Floating Offshore Wind Power Generation System

On June 8, 2018, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) announced that NEDO and Hitachi Zosen Corporation have completed the construction of a barge-type floating body for a next-generation floating offshore wind power generation system. The key feature of the barge-type floating body is that it is smaller and lighter than the standard semi-submersible type floating body. The portion of the structure that is submerged under the water is minimized, which will enable wind farm operators to place this type of floating body in areas with approximately 50m of water depth.

This summer NEDO will set up the system, loading the floating body with a wind turbine and power cables at the demonstration site, which is approximately 15 km away from the Hibikinada district of the Kitakyushu Port. The system will start its actual operation this fall.

Based on the foundation structure supporting the wind turbine, offshore wind power generation can generally be divided into “bottom-mounted foundations,” which are fixed structures connected to the offshore foundations, and “floating-type” structures where the foundation is floating on the sea. According to NEDO’s research, the economic efficiency of floating-type wind power generation is higher than bottom-mounted wind power generation in the areas above 50m of water depth. In order to accelerate the introduction of offshore wind power generation, in addition to developing bottom-mounted wind power generation, it is essential for Japan to develop floating offshore wind power generation systems that can be placed into a wider area of shallow water, which led NEDO to conduct this demonstration project.

[Japan] Japan’s METI Released the 2018 Energy White Paper

On June 8, 2018, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Agency for Natural Resources and Energy released its FY 2017 Annual Report on Energy. The Annual Report on Energy (also known as the “Energy White Paper”) provides the status of Japan's energy policy measures and is submitted annually to the Diet as a requirement of Article 11 of the Basic Act on Energy Policy.

The Energy White Paper provides the current state of energy security, an outline of the energy measures that Japan achieved in FY2017, and current trends in energy policy and energy supply and demand. The 2017 White Paper covers the following topics: Japan’s history of energy usage since the Meiji Restoration; progress in decommissioning the unit 1-4 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and the status of the station’s reconstruction; and the energy situation within and outside of Japan, including the potential challenges to achieving Japan’s goals for its 2030 energy mix, as well as the expectations for future challenges up to 2050.

The Energy White Paper is developed based on Japan’s Strategic Energy Plan, which is the national energy policy that sets the vision and strategies to meet Japan’s long-term energy needs, according to the Energy Policy Act of 2002. METI’s Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy released the outline for the 5th Strategic Energy Plan on April 27, 2018, which is further described in the JEPIC newsletter article " Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) released the outline for Japan’s Strategic Energy Plan." [1]

*The English language outline of the Energy White Paper 2018 has been released on METI’s website.[2]

[1] http://www.meti.go.jp/press/2018/06/20180608005/20180608005.html

[2] http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2018/pdf/0608_001a.pdf

[Japan] Japanese Utility and Automobile Companies Jointly Start Testing V2G Technology

On May 31, 2018, Kyushu Electric Power, the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), Nissan Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Motors, and Mitsubishi Electric jointly started a demonstration project for V2G (Vehicle to Grid) technology, with the aim of utilizing EVs to adjust the electricity supply and demand. The project will assess the feasibility of charging EVs and discharging the stored electricity to electricity grids.

The project is being conducted as part of METI’s FY2018 Demonstration Project on Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Utilizing Demand Side Energy Resource, which is further described in the JEPIC digest titled “Toyota Tsusho and Chubu Electric Power Jointly Launched the V2G Aggregator Project in Toyota City, Japan”. 

[Japan] Toyota Tsusho and Chubu Electric Power Jointly Launched the V2G (Vehicle to Grid) Aggregator Project in Toyota City, Japan

Toyota Tsusho and Chubu Electric Power jointly launched the V2G (Vehicle to Grid) Aggregator Project on May 30, 2018. The project will demonstrate charging Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHVs/PHEVs) and Electric Vehicles (EVs) and the process for discharging stored electricity to grids. The project will evaluate the V2G control system’s performance and impact on the grids, with the goal of utilizing PHVs/PHEVs/EVs to adjust power supply and demand.

The V2G project is being conducted as part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)’s FY2018 Demonstration Project on Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Utilizing Demand Side Energy Resources, an initiative that will invest 4 billion yen to fund various VPP demonstration projects over FY 2018. The initiative will focus on implementing control technologies at VPPs with over 50 MW capacity by 2020, as part of METI’s goals to increase renewable energy usage.[1]

VPP technologies combine renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic power generation and energy storage at locations such as residential areas and factories. The introduction of VPP-based renewable energy is expected to expand in Japan, but one challenge to future adoption is fluctuating power output due to changes in weather conditions, and surplus electric power at peak energy production. V2G is a VPP technology that utilizes PHVs/PHEVs/EVs’ in-vehicle battery to manage the fluctuations in output by adjusting the amount and the timing of power supplies.[2]

The V2G project will test the V2G control system, which utilizes multiple in-vehicle storage batteries to control its electricity charges and discharges, in order to verify the feasibility of load balancing through V2G and discharging stored excess renewable energy supplies to the grid when demand is higher. The system will be placed in parking facilities in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. The project will use the V2G technology for high frequency regulation developed by the U.S.-based Nuvve Corporation. Regulating at high frequencies is difficult as it requires the system to perform within short response times.

[1] http://www.meti.go.jp/main/yosangaisan/fy2018/pr/en/shoshin_taka_06.pdf

[2] https://www.chuden.co.jp/corporate/publicity/pub_release/press/3268019_21432.html

[Japan] The U.S. and Japan Held the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Civil Nuclear Energy Research and Development Working Group (CNWG)

The Civil Nuclear Energy Research and Development Working Group (CNWG) held its sixth annual meeting on May 24, 2018 in Osaka, Japan to facilitate bilateral cooperation on advanced nuclear technology R&D. The CNWG was jointly established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). In addition, participants from Japan included the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Japan’s Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI). During the meeting, the experts from U.S. and Japan reported on their recent cooperative efforts and agreed to enhance collaboration on nuclear R&D in various fields, including fast reactors, high-temperature gas reactors, nuclear fuel cycle and waste management, and light-water reactors. DOE, JAEA, and CRIEPI also jointly launched a new project to conduct safety analysis on metal-fueled fast reactors.

[Japan] Osaka Gas Acquired a 24.3% Stake in Kleen Energy Systems to Join Natural Gas Thermal Power Generation Business in Connecticut, USA

On May 14, 2018, Osaka Gas signed a contract with a subsidiary of Ares EIF Management, a major U.S. infrastructure fund for power generation and transmission, to acquire a 24.3% stake in Kleen Energy Systems, a natural gas thermal power generation business that operates in Connecticut, in the United States. Four Japanese companies (Osaka Gas, Kyushu Electric Power Co., Chugoku Electric Power Co., and Sojitz Corp.) together have majority ownership (81%) of Kleen Energy Systems. The Kleen Energy Plant, which began operation in July 2011, is a 620 MW natural gas-fired power plant in Connecticut.

[Japan] NEDO, Obayashi, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Demonstrated the World's First Thermoelectric Power Supply with 100% Hydrogen Fuel in Kobe

New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Obayashi Corporation, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries demonstrated the world’s first thermoelectric power supply in an urban area, using a gas turbine system operated with 100% hydrogen fuel in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture on April 19 and 20, 2018. The 1 MW hydrogen cogeneration system (Hydrogen CGS) was installed at Kobe Port Island. Using only hydrogen as fuel, it successfully delivered 2,800 kW of heat to the Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital and the Kobe Port Island Sports Center, and also supplied 1,100 kW of electricity to both facilities, as well as to the Kobe International Exhibition Hall and the Port Island Water Treatment Plant. The project will continue to conduct verification tests and acquire seasonal data to establish optimal control technologies for producing electricity, heat, and hydrogen energy.

The Hydrogen CGS can operate using either hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas. NEDO demonstrated the Hydrogen CGS using hydrogen and natural gas in February 2018 and verified the combustion and operational stability at that time.

[Japan] Kansai Electric Power Company’s Oi Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4 Resumes Power Generation Operations

On May 11, 2018, Kansai Electric Power Company’s Oi Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4, located in Fukui prefecture, resumed its power generation operations. Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority determined that Unit 4 met its current safety standards and gave permission to restart the unit. Unit 4 will gradually increase its power output until it is fully operational in early June this year. It is the third nuclear power reactor with a generation capacity of at least one-million-kW to resume operation in Japan, following Oi Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 and Kyushu Electric Power's Genkai Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3.

[Japan] Tohoku Electric Power and Sendai City Announced That They Will Work Together to Utilize Virtual Power Plant Technologies

Sendai (a city in northern Japan’s Miyagi prefecture) and Tohoku Electric Power announced on April 24, 2018 that they will work together to optimize the control systems for solar power generation systems and energy storage systems through Virtual Power Plant (VPP) technologies. The enhanced control systems are expected to support their regional disaster prevention capacity and reduce the systems’ environmental impact.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Sendai placed solar power generation systems and energy storage systems in each of the city’s designated shelter facilities, including in all of the city’s elementary and junior high schools. The systems are designed to reduce CO2 emissions and to secure the power supply when a disaster occurs. Tohoku Electric Power has initiated a VPP Demonstration Project at 25 of Sendai’s designated shelter facilities. The utility company will remotely monitor and optimize the solar power generation systems and energy storage systems, and will run tests using collected resources (power) through the VPP to make adjustments to balance the electricity supply and demand. In addition, the utility will examine solutions to improve the longevity of energy storage. The demonstration project will run for a period of three years, from April 27, 2018 to March 31, 2021.