Renewable Energy Institute released the English excerpt of "Bottlenecks and Risks of CCS Thermal Power Policy in Japan," originally published in Japanese on 14 April 2022.
With efforts towards achieving a decarbonized society becoming ever more pressing globally, the goal of 90% electricity generation from renewables is widely considered to be the benchmark by 2050. In contrast, the Government of Japan is focusing on developing 'zero-emission thermal power' and will continue to use fossil fuel power generation until at least 2050. At the heart of this is thermal power generation equipped with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).
This report points out five bottlenecks of relying on CCS, including incomplete CO2 capture, high costs, and limited geographical conditions for CO2 storage in Japan, and introduces how CCS is treated compared to renewables in the global decarbonization strategy, including the latest IPCC report released in April 2022.
It is our hope that this report will contribute to constructive discussions on the decarbonization of Japan's electricity supply, as the Government of Japan is on track to submit a bill to promote the development of CCS in the current parliamentary session, with the goal of making CCS a reality by 2030.
Bottlenecks and Risks of CCS Thermal Power Policy in Japan
<Table of Contents*>
Summary
Chapter 1: Japan's Energy Strategy Overly Dependent on Carbon Capture Storage
Chapter 2: The Five Bottlenecks of CCS Thermal Power Policy
Bottleneck 3: There Are No Geographical Conditions Suitable for CCS in Japan
Bottleneck 5: Risks Posed by the Overseas Export of CO2
Final Chapter: Japan's Decarbonization Strategy – The Way Forward
