Jan 07 - Jiji Press English News Service

The Japanese electric power industry is stepping up its support for steps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal-powered thermal plants in developing countries as part of international efforts to counter global warming.

Coal-fired thermal plants, which are widely used in many countries, remain the biggest source of CO2 emissions from power generation. For example, burning coal produces 80 pct of the electricity generated in China.

Japanese power utilities last year began providing their counterparts in developing countries with knowhow on plant maintenance through an international framework called the Asia- Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, or APP.

Specifically, the firms give lectures on how to maintain generating efficiency at plants in developing countries and avoid increases in CO2 emissions. Such activities can promise good results without heavy spending, according to an industry watcher.

Through the APP, the Japanese firms will train maintenance workers for thermal plants in India in February.

Developing countries often fail to do adequate maintenance work on power generators. Even if high-end, coal-fired thermal power generators are introduced, their generating efficiency tends to deteriorate soon, the industry watcher said.

For example, the Japanese firms maintain initial levels of generating efficiency after 40 years of plant operations. But a power station in one Asian country saw its efficiency levels fall by 5 pct over five years after repair work, so the plant emits more CO2 than it did at the time of the launch.

If the seven members of the APP such as Japan, the United States, China and India improve the efficiency of their coal-powered plants by one pct, their annual CO2 emissions could be reduced by 120 million tons, equivalent to 10 pct of Japan's overall emissions, according to one estimate.

The Japanese industry is also aiming to provide technical assistance to new coal-powered thermal plants in developing countries in order to ensure more efficient operations.

If worldwide coal plants were to improve their efficiency levels to those of the newest Japanese plants, annual CO2 emissions would be cut by 1.42 billion tons, equivalent to more than Japan's total emissions.

But the smooth transfer of Japanese firms' related technologies requires a framework that will benefit both providers and beneficiaries, said a senior official of Electric Power Development Co. , known as J-Power.END

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