Kansai Electric to Retire 2 Units at Gobo Oil-Fired Power Station

Osaka, Sept. 26 (Jiji Press)–Kansai Electric Power Co. is preparing to decommission the No. 1 and No. 2 units at its Gobo oil-fired thermal power station in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, informed sources have said. The two units, which have a combined maximum output of 1.2 million kilowatts, are expected to be decommissioned around next June, the sources said Thursday. Kansai Electric hopes to accelerate decarbonization efforts by shifting power sources from oil-fired thermal generation, which emits large amounts of carbon dioxide, to nuclear power generation and other alternatives. The Gobo power station began operation in 1984 and has three power generation units. The power utility will also consider retiring the remaining No. 3 unit at the Gobo plant. Kansai Electric decommissioned the No. 1 and No. 2 units of the Ako oil-fired thermal power station in the western prefecture of Hyogo in July, making the Gobo station the only oil-fired plant currently operated by the company. The power utility is phasing out power stations fueled by oil or coal, while having resumed operations of seven nuclear reactors by 2023. It plans to begin a geological survey for newly building a next-generation nuclear plant in Mihama, Fukui Prefecture in central Japan, this November. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]