Electricity Production and Consumption in Japan
– Japan consumed 995.26 TWh of electricity in 2014.
– Before the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, nuclear power accounted for a quarter of Japan’s electricity generation.
– Following the disaster, nuclear power plants were put on hold and replaced mainly by coal and natural gas.
– Solar power has been growing as a source of electricity, with Japan having the third largest solar installed capacity.
– Japan has the second largest pumped-hydro storage installed capacity in the world.
– In 2008, Japan consumed an average of 8507 kWh/person of electricity.
– This was 115% of the EU15 average and 95% of the OECD average.
– The share of renewable energy in Japan’s electricity consumption was 9.7% in 2009.
– Compared to other nations, electricity in Japan is relatively expensive.
– Non-renewable energy sources accounted for a significant portion of Japan’s electricity production.
Liberalization of the Electricity Market
– Since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, Japan’s regional electricity operators have faced significant financial losses.
– Steps have been taken to liberalize the electricity supply market.
– Domestic and small business customers gained the ability to choose from over 250 supplier companies in 2016.
– Wholesale electricity trading on the Japan Electric Power Exchange was encouraged.
– By June 2016, over 1 million consumers had changed their electricity supplier.
Transmission of Electricity in Japan
– Japan’s electricity transmission network is divided into two regions with different mains frequencies: 50 Hz in the east and 60 Hz in the west.
– Conversion capacity limitations create challenges in transferring electricity between the two networks.
– The boundary between the two regions contains four HVDC substations that convert the frequency.
– The total transmission capacity between the two grids is 1.2 GW.
– Increasing the electricity transfer between the two networks is crucial for power reliability, especially after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Historical Development of Japan’s Electricity Sector
– During the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War, Japan’s electricity sector was state-owned.
– Nippon Hassōden KK and several electricity distributors formed the system at the time.
– At the behest of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, Nippon Hassōden became the Electric Power Development Co., Limited in the 1950s.
– Most of the electricity sector not under EPDC’s control was privatized into nine government-granted monopolies.
– The Ryukyu Islands’ electricity provider was publicly owned during the USCAR era and later privatized.
Nuclear Power in Japan
– The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster displaced 50,000 households.
– Radiation checks led to bans on some shipments of vegetables and fish.
– Public opposition to nuclear power has increased following the Fukushima disaster.
– Many reactors were shut down for inspection and upgrades to safety standards.
– Carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity industry rose in 2012 after the reactors were shut down. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_Japan
This article needs to be updated. (July 2022) |
The electric power industry in Japan covers the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy in Japan. Japan consumed 995.26 TWh of electricity in 2014. Before the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, about a quarter of electricity in the country was generated by nuclear power. In the following years, most nuclear power plants have been on hold, being replaced mostly by coal and natural gas. Solar power is a growing source of electricity, and Japan has the third largest solar installed capacity with about 50 GW as of 2017.
| Data | |
|---|---|
| Production (2014) | 995.26 TWh |
| Share of renewable energy | 9.7% (2009) |
Japan has the second largest pumped-hydro storage installed capacity in the world after China.[citation needed]
The electrical grid in Japan is isolated, with no international connections, and consists of four wide area synchronous grids. Unusually the Eastern and Western grids run at different frequencies (50 and 60 Hz respectively) and are connected by HVDC connections. This considerably limits the amount of electricity that can be transmitted between the north and south of the country.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War and the succeeding Pacific War, the entirety of Japan's electricity sector was state-owned; the system at the time consisted of a Japan Electric Generation and Transmission Company (日本発送電株式会社, Nippon Hassōden kabushiki gaisha, otherwise known as Nippon Hassōden KK or Nippatsu) and several electricity distributors. At the behest of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, Nippon Hassōden became the Electric Power Development Co., Limited in the fifties; and almost all of the electricity sector that are not under the control by EPDC was privatized into nine government-granted monopolies. The Ryukyu Islands electricity provider was, during the USCAR era, publicly owned; it was privatized shortly after the islands' admission into Japan.
