Tokyo Electric Power Company
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 | This article needs to be updated. (March 2011) |
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| Company type | Public KK (TYO: 9501) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | May 1, 1951 |
| Headquarters | Tokyo , Japan |
Area served | prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Tochigi, Gunma, Ibaraki, Yamanashi, and eastern area of Shizuoka |
Key people | Masataka Shimizu, President |
| Services | Electric generation, transmission, and distribution |
| Revenue |  ¥5308.0 billion (consolidated) |
| ¥576.2 billion (consolidated) | |
| ¥310.3 billion (consolidated) | |
Number of employees | 38,235 (consolidated) |
| Parent | Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation  |
| Website | www.tepco.co.jp |
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated (東京電力株式会社, Tōkyō Denryoku Kabushiki-kaisha, TYO: 9501), also known as Toden (東電, Tōden) or TEPCO, is an electric utility servicing Japan's Kantō region, Yamanashi Prefecture, and the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture. This area includes Tokyo. Its headquarters are located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and international branch offices exist in Washington, D.C., and London. In March 2011, it became responsible for clearing up the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in which one its plants at Fukushima Prefecture was the site of one the world's most serious nuclear disasters.
This company is the fourth largest electric power company in the world (1st: E.ON, 2nd: Électricité de France, 3rd: RWE), and the largest to hail from Asia. The amount of electricity it sells annually is as same as the amount Italy uses in a year. The share of this company in Japanese electric market is approximately one-third. Though there are 10 electric utilities in Japan, TEPCO is in a leading position in Japanese energy industry.
In 2007, Tokyo Electric, forced to shut the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant after Niigata-Chuetsu-Oki Earthquake, posted its first loss in 28 years.[1] In 2008, the plant had not re-opened and Tokyo Electric posted its second loss.[2] 2009 saw the plant reopened.
History
Japan's nine regional electric companies, including TEPCO, were established in 1951 with the end of the state-run electric industry regime for national wartime mobilization.
In the 1950s, the company's primary goal was to facilitate a rapid recovery from the infrastructure devastation of World War II. After the recovery period, the company had to expand its supply capacity to catch up with the country's rapid economic growth by developing fossil fuel power plants and a more efficient transmission network.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the company faced the challenges of increased environmental pollution and oil shocks. TEPCO began addressing environmental concerns through expansion of its LNG fueled power plant network as well as greater reliance on nuclear generation. The first nuclear unit at the Fukushima Dai-ichi (Fukushima I) nuclear power plant began operational generation on March 26, 1970.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the widespread use of air-conditioners and IT/OA appliances resulted a gap between day and night electricity demand. In order to reduce surplus generation capacity and increase capacity utilization, TEPCO developed pumped storage hydroelectric power plants and promoted thermal storage units.
Recently, TEPCO is expected to play a key role in achieving Japan's targets for reduced carbon dioxide emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. It also faces difficulties related to the trend towards deregulation in Japan's electric industry as well as low power demand growth. In light of these circumstances, TEPCO launched an extensive sales promotion campaign called 'Switch!', promoting all-electric housing in order to both achieve the more efficient use of its generation capacity as well as erode the market share of gas companies.
In 2008, Tokyo Electric, forced to shut the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant after an earthquake, posted its first loss in 28 years as oil and gas costs soared.[1]
Corporate overview
- Capital stock: ¥676,424,197,050
- Total outstanding shares: 1,352,876,531
- Number of shareholders: 821,841
- Electricity sales (FY 2004): 92,592 million kWh (lighting), 194,148 million kWh (power), 286,741 million kWh (total)
- Peak demand: 64.3 million kW (July 24, 2001)
- Number of customers (ending March 31, 2005): 25,120,000 / 83.89 million kW (lighting), 2,630,000 thousand / 39.75 million kWh (power), 27,740,000 / 123.64 million kW (total)
- Revenue from electricity sales: ¥4,637.2 billion yen (FY 2004)
Power stations and generation capacity
- Hydro: 160 / 8.521 million kW
- Thermal (oil, coal, LN(P)G, geothermal): 26 / 36.995 million kW
- Nuclear: 3 / 17.308 million kW
- Wind: 1 / 0.001 million kW
- Total: 190 / 62.825 million kW
Position in the industry
TEPCO is the largest electric utility in Japan and the 4th largest electric utility in the world after german RWE, french Électricité de France and Germany's E.ON. As TEPCO stands in a leading position in this industry, they have relatively a strong effect for Japanese economics, environment, and energy industry.
Management and finance
Generation
The company's power generation consists of two main networks. Fossil fuel power plants around Tokyo Bay are used for peak load supply and nuclear reactors in Fukushima and Niigata Prefecture provide base load supply. Additionally, hydroelectric plants in the mountainous areas outside the Kanto Plain, despite their relatively small capacity compared to fossil fuel and nuclear generation, remain important in providing peak load supply. The company also purchases electricity from other regional or wholesale electric power companies like Tohoku Electric Power Co., J-POWER, and Japan Atomic Power Company.
Transmission and distribution
The company has built a radiated and circular grid between power plants and urban/industrial demand areas. Each transmission line is designed to transmit electricity at high-voltage (66-500kV) between power plants and substations. Normally transmission lines are strung between towers, but within the Tokyo metropolitan area high-voltage lines are located underground.
From substations, electricity is transmitted via the distribution grid at low-voltage (22-6kV). For high-voltage supply to large buildings and factories, distribution lines are directly connected to customers' electricity systems. In this case, customers must purchase and set up transformers and other equipment to run electric appliances. For low voltage supply to houses and small shops, distribution lines are first connected to the company's transformers (seen on utility poles and utility boxes), converted to 100/200V, and finally connected to end users.
Under normal conditions, TEPCO's transmission and distribution infrastructure is notable as one of the most reliable electricity networks in the world. Blackout frequency and average recovery time compares favorably with other electric companies in Japan as well as within other developed countries. The company instituted its first-ever rolling blackouts[3] following the shutdown of the Fukushima I and II plants which were close to the epicenter of the March 2011 earthquake.[4] For example on the morning of Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 700,000 households had no power for three hours.[5] The company had to deal with a 10 million kW gap between demand and production on March 14, 2011.
Scandal
On August 29, 2002, the government of Japan revealed that TEPCO was guilty of false reporting in routine governmental inspection of its nuclear plants and systematic concealment of plant safety incidents. All seventeen of its boiling-water reactors were shut down for inspection as a result. TEPCO's chairman Hiroshi Araki, President Nobuya Minami, Vice-President Toshiaki Enomoto, as well as the advisers Shō Nasu and Gaishi Hiraiwa stepped-down by September 30, 2002.[6] The utility "eventually admitted to two hundred occasions over more than two decades between 1977 and 2002, involving the submission of false technical data to authorities".[7] Upon taking over leadership responsibilities, TEPCO's new president issued a public commitment that the company would take all the countermeasures necessary to prevent fraud and restore the nation's confidence. By the end of 2005, generation at suspended plants had been restarted, with government approval.
In 2007, however, the company announced to the public that an internal investigation had revealed a large number of unreported incidents. These included an unexpected unit criticality in 1978 and additional systematic false reporting, which had not been uncovered during the 2002 inquiry. Along with scandals at other Japanese electric companies, this failure to ensure corporate compliance resulted in strong public criticism of Japan's electric power industry and the nation's nuclear energy policy. Again, the company made no effort to identify those responsible.
Offices
| Name | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate Headquarters | 1-1-3 Uchisaiwai-Cho, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan | |
| Tokyo Branch | 5-4-9 Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo | Service offices: Ginza, Koutou, Ueno, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Otsuka, Ogikubo, Shinagawa |
| Kanagawa Branch | 1-1 Benten-Dori, Naka, Yokohama City, Kanagawa | Service offices: Kawasaki, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Fujisawa, Sagamihara, Hiratsuka, Odawara |
| Chiba Branch | 2-9-5 Fujimi, Chuo, Chiba City, Chiba | Service offices: Chiba, Keiyou, Toukatsu, Narita, Kisarazu |
| Washington, D.C. Office | 1901 L Street, NW, Suite 720, Washington D.C. | |
| London Office | Wing 7, Fourth Floor, Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square London W1J 6BR, UK |
Power plants
Nuclear
| Name | Location | Number of units | Generation Capacity (MW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant | 22 Kitahara, Mezawa, Okuma Town, Futaba County, Fukushima | 6 (of which at least 4 destroyed by 2011 earthquake and tsunami) +2 (planned) | 4,696 (operational) +2,700 (planned) |
| Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant | 12 Obamatsukuri, Namikura, Narawa Town, Futaba County, Fukushima | 4 (operational) | 4,400 (operational) |
| Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant | 16-46 Aoyama-Cho, Kashiwazaki City, Niigata | 2 (operational) 5 (closed) | 2,712 (operational) 5,500 (closed) |
In March 2008, Tokyo Electric announced that the start of operation of four new nuclear power reactors would be postponed by one year due to the incorporation of new earthquake resistance assessments. Units 7 and 8 of the Fukushima Daiichi plant would now enter commercial operation on October 2014 and October 2015, respectively. Unit 1 of the Higashidori plant is now scheduled to begin operating in December 2015, while unit 2 will start up in 2018 at the earliest.[8]
Thermal
| Name | Location | Units | Capacity (MW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiba | |||
| Goi | |||
| Anegasaki Power Station | 35°29′06″N 140°01′00″E / 35.48500°N 140.01667°E | 6 × 600MW | 3,600 |
| Sodegaura Power Station | 3,600 | ||
| Futtsu Power Station | 25 Shintomi, Futtsu City, Chiba | 4 (operational) | 5,000 |
| Kashima Power Station | 4,400 | ||
| Hirono Power Station | 3,800 | ||
| Hitachinaka | |||
| Oi Thermal Power Station | 1-2-2 Yashio, Shinagawa, Tokyo | 1 (operational) | 1,050 |
| Shinagawa | 5-6-22 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa, Tokyo | 1 (operational) | 1,140 (operational) |
| Yokosuka | 9-2-1 Kurihama, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa | 3 (operational) +4 (standby) | 730 (operational) +1,400 (standby) |
| Kawasaki | 5-1 Chidori-Cho, Kawasaki, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa | 1 (under construction) | 3,000 (under construction) |
| Yokohama | 11-1 Daikoku-Cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama City, Kanagawa | 4 (operational) | 3,325 (operational) |
| Minami Yokohama | 37-1 Shin-Isogo Cho, Isogo, Yokohama City, Kanagawa | 3 (operational) | 1,150 (operational) |
| Higashi Ogishima | 3 Higashi-Ogishima, Kawasaki, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa | 2 (operational) | 2,000 (operational) |
Hydro
Tepco has a total of 160 hydroelectric stations with a total capacity of 8,520 MW
- Pumped-storage hydroelectricity（500 MW and up）
- Nagawado Dam (623 MW)
- Takase Dam (1,280 MW)
- Tanbara Dam (1,200 MW)
- Sabigawa Dam (900 MW)
- Imashi Dam (1,050 MW)
- Kazunogawa Dam (800 MW)
- Kanagawa Hydroelectric Generating Station (2,820 MW)
Electric vehicle batteries and recharging
Under the lead of an organization affiliated with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Tokyo Electric Power Company is working out next-gen car battery norms.[9] It has developed a specification for high-voltage DC automotive fast charging using a JARI Level 3 DC connector, and formed the CHΛdeMO (stands for Charge and Move) association with Japanese automakers Mitsubishi, Nissan and Subaru to promote it.[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b Tokyo Electric Has First Loss in 28 Years on Shutdown
- ^ Tokyo Electric stays in red in FY 2008
- ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/13/us-japan-quake-tepco-idUSTRE72C2SB20110313
- ^ Japan Earthquake Update (11 March 2011, 11:45 UTC)
- ^ Rolling blackouts continue
- ^ "Heavy fallout from Japan nuclear scandal". CNN. 02 September 2002. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Cooke, Stephanie (2009). In Mortal Hands: A Cautionary History of the Nuclear Age. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 388. ISBN 9781596916173.
- ^ New Japanese nuclear power reactors delayed
- ^ Japan firms to work out next-gen car battery norms: Scientific American
- ^ "Tokyo Electric Power Licenses Aker Wade to Build Level III Fast Chargers". Green Car Congress. 2010-01-15. Retrieved 2010-04-13.
External links
