<article><p class="lead">Japanese utility Hokkaido Electric Power will work with engineering firm IHI and engineering contractor JFE Engineering to test and install carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology at the 1,650MW Tomato-Atsuma coal-fired power complex. </p><p>State-controlled research and development institute Nedo has granted the three companies a subsidy of ¥120mn ($1.1mn) for a CCUS study at a large power plant that releases substantial amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) such as Tomato Atsuma, which Hokkaido Electric Power operates. </p><p>Tomato-Atsuma, which is located 70km southeast of Sapporo city, is Hokkaido's largest thermal power plant, providing half of the island prefecture's power supplies. It consists of the 350MW No.1, 600MW No.2 and 700MW No.4 power generation units. </p><p>The CCUS project is scheduled to start next month, with a completion date of February 2023. JFE Engineering, a pipeline construction pioneer, is studying the possibility of building pipelines to transport CO2 from the power plant.</p><p>Japan last month set an ambitious target for output from the country's coal-fired power plants. It is targeting power output from coal burning to account for <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2236167">19pc in the new power mix by 2030</a>, down from a previous 26pc goal. Power producers that own inefficient coal-fired power plants have the option of scrapping these units to achieve more than <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2198823">43pc efficiency for their coal-fired plants by 2030</a>. </p><p>The No.4 power generation unit at Tomato-Atsuma is equipped with ultra-super critical technologies that are not subjected to a removal by 2030, although Hokkaido Electric Power still has to consider achieving the 43pc efficiency target. But the No.1 and No.2 units at Tomato-Atsuma are likely subjected to government discussions to reduce CO2 emissions by 2030 because they are equipped with sub-critical and supercritical technologies.</p><p class="bylines">By Reina Maeda</p></article>
