Technological development under global warning : roadmap of the coal generation technology

Abstract

This thesis explores the measures for the Japanese electric power utilities to meet the Kyoto Target, and the technological development of the coal thermal power generation to meet the further abatement of the carbon dioxide beyond Kyoto. To meet the Kyoto Target, the present measure by the Japanese government to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions in the energy sector relies much on the development of the nuclear power generation. Therefore, the current delay of nuclear power development, mainly due to the lack of public acceptance for the nuclear energy, and, consequently, the increase of the carbon dioxide emissions are crucial problems to be solved to the achieve the target. In this paper, possible measures to achieve the abatement target of the carbon dioxide emissions are examined. Among the five measures, changing dispatch from high carbon emitting capacity to low emitting one provides a sufficient abatement with relatively low cost. Other measures, like wind power or re-powering of existing thermal power plant require the higher abatement cost or fail to provide sufficient quantities. Looking at the scenario beyond the Kyoto Target after 2012, further reduction of the carbon dioxide emissions calls for the technological development. Since the uncertainty of the nuclear power development will still remain in the future, and other measures including re-dispatch and re-powering can not afford to provide further reduction, the development of the generating technologies is one of the crucial measures to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions. Especially, the technologies for coal thermal power, which are expected to be the most stable and inexpensive energy resources in a few decade, affect the strategy for the global warming. The developing technologies, the coal

(cont.) gasification and the carbon dioxide sequestration are examined in the latter chapter.