Japanese partners sanction construction of new LNG power plant

Fukushima Gas Power project’s founding shareholders reached a decision to start the construction of a natural gas-fired power plant at Soma Port in Shinchi Town and approved the participation of three new project partners.

According to a joint statement, the founding shareholders, Japan Petroleum Exploration and Mitsui & Co., have been joined by Osaka Gas, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company and Hokkaido Electric Power.

Project participants decided to begin construction of the natural gas-fired power plant once the environmental assessment is complete. In parallel to the assessment, FGP will begin site preparations for the construction of the power plant.

The power plant will have two power generation gas turbine combined-cycle units which can generate 590-thousands kilowatts.

FGP also plans to build an LNG storage tank with a 230,000 kiloliters capacity as well as LNG vaporization equipment on the site of JAPEX’s Soma LNG terminal, currently under construction at FGP’s neighboring plant site.

The project participants intend to conclude EPC contracts and begin construction by the summer of 2017. Commercial operations of the facility are expected to start in the spring of 2020.