Technology:
JX Nippon Oil and Energy decided to build a
thermal power plant that uses a byproduct of oil refinery as fuel. The new type
power generation system will likely to compete with coal fired power generation,
which is least expensive among all power generation using fossil fuel, in terms
of cost by using an unutilized resource. The new plant will be built inside its
refinery in Ibaraki
Prefecture. It is planned
to start operation in March 2016 with a generation capacity of 100,000 kW. The
investment will be ten and several billion yen that is almost the same value
required to build a coal fired power plant. The company plans to sell
electricity to Tokyo Electric Power Company as an independent power producer (IPP)
and sell it directly to neighbor plants.
Thick tarry liquid is left after gasoline
and light oil are recovered in the oil refinery process, and the new system
utilizes this thick tarry liquid. After transforming the thick tarry liquid as
solid fuel, it turns a turbine using the steam creased by burning the solid
fuel. JX Nippon Oil and Energy so far selling the residues to chemical
companies for a very low price, but it decided to hold down the generation cost
by utilizing residues. In addition, fuel oil can be squeezed in the process to
produce solid fuel, and the new system emits 10-15% less carbon dioxide than
the traditional coal fired thermal plant. The company entered into electricity
wholesale trade in 1998, and its generation capacity will increase to 1,500,000
kW when the new thermal power plant starts operation.
One of JX Nippon Oil and Energy's oil refineries
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