Japan to stop building polluting coal-fired power plants

Japan plans to ban energy companies from building inefficient coal facilities that pollute the environment. Since the Fukushima disaster in Japan, the use of this fuel has been increasing, undermining the program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The government has come under fierce criticism from environmentalists for supporting the use of coal, which has risen to record levels since the closure of the reactors.

The government aims to get 26 percent of its electricity from coal by 2030. After Fukushima, coal use has grown to nearly a third, but the government is pushing for the most efficient power plants. In addition, the country is opening its $ 65 billion retail electricity market to full competition from April next year. This has boosted the growth of investment in coal, considered one of the cheapest fuels, with plans to build about 40 coal-fired power plants in the next decade.

According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan, coal generates a total capacity of about 46 gigawatts, but about half of this comes from old and relatively inefficient facilities. A ministry official said: "We want all new coal-fired power plants, including small ones, which tend to be less efficient than large ones, to be based on advanced technologies."

Yuichi Takagi, deputy head of the Japanese ministry, said the country also plans to adopt more advanced technologies, such as a combined gasification cycle, that could cut emissions by 20 percent and bring them into commercial operation by 2020. He said that "this is in line with our energy balance and climate targets. Japan aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 26 percent by 2030 from 2013 levels." The Ministry of the Environment is opposing the increased use of coal for power generation by opposing plans to build some new coal-fired power plants with a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts.