Chiba Thermal Power Station


Chiba Thermal Power Station, is an operational thermal power station located in Japan, run by JERA, with a maximum output of 4380 MW. Originally built in the late 1950s as a coal-burning plant, it was later converted to a plant burning liquefied natural gas in the year 2000.

History

Chiba Thermal Power Station started operation in the late 1950s as an 600MW capacity coal fired power plant. It had four units, but due to the aging of the facilities and the increasing demand for electricity, it was eventually abolished and subsequently renovated to a combined cycle power plant and fueled with Liquefied Natural Gas. Groups 1 & 2 were constructed and this increased the power station to a maximum output of 2880 MW. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, three gas turbine systems were constructed within 4 months, as part of an emergency plan to supply power after the earthquake. From 2012 to 2014, a more advanced combined cycle system was added as group 3. This had a total output of 1500MW.

Power Generation

When Chiba Thermal Power Station was renovated, Groups 1 & 2 were constructed. Each have a total power output of 1440 MW. Group 3 was constructed outdoors, as oppose to indoors like Groups 1 & 2, as it had to be constructed as quickly after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Group 3 has a power output of 1500MW. The total power output of the station is 4380MW and the site covers approximately 760,000 square metres of land. The fuel used — LNG — is supplied by pipeline from terminals located at Sodegaura Power Station and Futtsu Power Station and it draws its water from the sea.

Old Power Generation

Group 1 of the initial power station was started in April 1957, and later, more groups were added up to Group 4 in November 1959. Originally, the power station burnt coal, but subsequently switched to crude oil. However, as these facilities began to age, and the demand for electricity was increasing, in March 1999, the facilities were abolished and a new combined cycle power generation system was installed.

See Also