Why is the utilization rate of thermal power generation only around 40%?

[ayshakhatun3113]

The committee is a meeting held between government bureaucrats promoting nuclear administration and electric power companies for the purpose of comparing, analyzing, and evaluating power generation costs. It contains detailed data and comparative analyses of power generation costs that are rarely seen by the public.

The table shows the "average actual unit price" and "actual capacity factor" figures for nuclear and thermal power from 2000 to 2002, and states that the unit cost of generating electricity per kW during that period was "8.3 yen for nuclear power" and "10 yen for thermal power."

However, the figure for thermal power (7.3 yen) in parentheses has a note in the margin stating that this is an estimated value calculated with a capacity factor of 80%. This is a very unfair comparison, but as we reported in the previous issue of our magazine (July 4th issue), nuclear power costs are not cheap.

What is noteworthy here is the "actual capacity factor" of 41% for remove background image thermal power plants. During the same period when Japan's nuclear power plants were operating at a high capacity factor of 78%, thermal power plants were operating at a low capacity of less than half of their total generating capacity.

If we look at the nuclear capacity utilization rates over the past 16 years (see table above), which was compiled based on another internal document from the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, we can see that the utilization rate of nuclear power at that time was high. The figures in the table are annual averages, but for example, the figure for March 2001 was 90.8%. As we pointed out in the previous issue, electric power companies, whose costs had ballooned under the full-cost method, were already maintaining profits by this time by adjusting operations and suppressing costs in order to prevent further increases in electricity prices.

Even so, with this much spare capacity, surely thermal power could be sufficient to make up for the shortfall even if nuclear power plants were shut down? The figure, which indicates a thermal power potential of 59%, suggests that "there will be no electricity shortage even without nuclear power plants."

So, what is the current utilization rate of thermal power plants? With people wondering if there will be enough electricity if we phase out nuclear power plants, the potential of thermal power plants is an important factor in making this decision.