is an LNG-fired
thermal power station
A thermal power station, also known as a thermal power plant, is a type of power station in which the heat energy generated from various fuel sources (e.g., coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, etc.) is converted to electrical energy. The heat ...
operated by
Tohoku Electric
is an electric utility, servicing 7.6 million individual and corporate customers in six prefectures in Tōhoku region plus Niigata Prefecture. It provides electricity at 100 V, 50 Hz, though some areas use 60 Hz.
Tohoku Electric Power ...
in
Miyagino-ku, Sendai
is the northeastern Wards of Japan, ward of the city Sendai, Miyagi, Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the ward had a population of 196,086 and a population density of 3370 persons per km2 in 91322 households. The total area of the ward was ...
,
Miyagi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...
, Japan. The facility is located on the
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
coast near the Port of Sendai.
History
The Shin-Sendai Thermal Power Station was built in 1959 to supply power to the
Sendai
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan.
...
metropolis and surrounding
Miyagi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...
. Unit 1 started operation in August 1971, followed by Unit 2 in June 1973. In 2006, Tohoku Electric announced a plan to abolish both units and to build two new high-efficiency More Advanced
combined cycle
A combined cycle power plant is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem from the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy. On land, when used to make electricity the most common type is called a combined cycle gas turb ...
(MACC) power generation facilities to reduce carbon emissions and lower operating costs.
Operations were temporarily suspended due to damage caused by the
Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Unit 1 was already stopped for maintenance, but Unit 2 was forced to make an
emergency shutdown when its turbine house was flooded by the tsunami. Unit 1 resumed full output on December 27, but a decision was reached not to repair Unit 2 and it was subsequently scrapped by the end of the year.
Along with the new power generation units, a new LNG receiving facility was constructed. This facility was purpose-built to accommodate the
Q-Flex
Q-Flex is a type of ship, specifically a membrane type liquefied natural gas carrier.
Technical description
Q-Flex vessels are propelled by two slow speed diesel engines, which are claimed to be more efficient and environmentally friendly than ...
series of
liquefied natural gas carrier
An LNG carrier is a tank ship designed for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Overview
The first oceangoing liquified natural gas tanker in the world was '' Methane Pioneer'', which entered service in 1959 with a carrying capacity of 5 ...
s from
Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
.
Unit 3-1 came on line in December 2015, followed by Unit 3–2 in July 2016. From July 18, 2017, the rated output of Unit 3 was upgraded from 980,000 kW to 1,046,000 kW due to operational experience and software modifications.
Plant details
See also
{{Portal, Japan, Energy
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Energy in Japan
Japan is a major consumer of energy, ranking fifth in the world by primary energy use.
Fossil fuels accounted for 88% of Japan's primary energy in 2019.
Japan imports most of its energy due to scarce domestic resources.
As of 2022, the cou ...
*
List of power stations in Japan
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
External links
Tohoku Electric list of major power stations
1971 establishments in Japan
Natural gas-fired power stations in Japan
Buildings and structures in Sendai
Energy infrastructure completed in 1971