Key facts
- Shikoku Electric Power resumed operations at its 700MW Tachibanawan coal-fired unit.
- The unit had been shut down since May 13 due to a conveyor malfunction.
- Repairs to the coal conveyor system have been completed.
- Japan plans to add significant thermal capacity in the coming week, exceeding closures.
- Power demand in Japan has been increasing due to rising temperatures and the start of the rainy season.
Japanese power utility Shikoku Electric Power has resumed operations at its 700MW Tachibanawan coal-fired unit in Tokushima prefecture, western Japan, on June 22, following repairs to a damaged coal conveyor. The unit had been shut down on May 13 after the conveyor transporting coal became inoperable.
Restoration work, including the removal of coal and repair of damaged sections, has been completed. Shikoku Electric Power had initially planned to resume operations in late June.
This resumption occurs as Japan plans to add approximately 8.9GW of thermal capacity in the week ending June 28, with total additions of 15.3GW outweighing closures of 6.4GW. This increase is attributed to rising temperatures and growing power demand. Power demand averaged 90GW in the week ending June 21, a 5% increase from the previous week. The start of Japan's rainy season on June 21 is also expected to reduce solar output and increase demand for cooling.
In the April 2025-March 2026 fiscal year, Shikoku consumed 2.4 million tonnes of coal, a 3.6% decrease from the prior year.