Japan on track to secure stable electric supply for winter

126,880MW of thermal energy will be available in January 2020.

Japan is on track to secure the required 3% national capacity reserve margin for a stable supply of electricity nationwide in winter, based on electricity supply plans submitted by all electric power utilities in the country, Japan’s Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators (OCCTO) announced.

The report assumes the most severe weather conditions occurring during the past decade will recur, and that some part of the country’s power sources will be unexpectedly suspended at some point.

Nationally, the total expected power source availability next January will be 126,880MW thermal, 9,560MW hydropower, and 6,320MW nuclear, amongst others.

In Hokkaido, electricity demand normally reaches its peak in winter. Given the experience of the major earthquake that struck the island last September 2018, a capacity reserve margin of 3% or higher will be secured in the event that a major power supply source of 1,540MW or so is lost.