The Government placed the power- saving request in Hokkaido for the first time in 3 years－Secure reserve ratio of more than 3%
On November 8th 2018, the government summarized the power demand forecast outlook and countermeasures nationwide this winter. Based on the experience of large-scale power outage (blackout) throughout the area, the Hokkaido area takes measures in both supply and demand even when the supply capacity becomes equivalent to the one of the case when three Tomatouatsuma power plants unplanned stops and secured a necessary reserve ratio of 3% or more. However, power saving without numerical target was requested for the first time in three years, considering that there is a restriction on flexibility of electric–power supply as the power supply-system size is small and that people’s lives will be seriously affected at the time of cold weather, .
Nine areas other than Hokkaido are expected to secure a reserve ratio of more than 3% even preparing for severe cold weather once every ten years. Therefore, no power saving will be requested in these area.
In the Hokkaido area, even if the supply capacity (transmission end) of 1.54 million kW equivalent to the one of three Tomatouatsuma power plants should stop with trouble, the reserve ratio of 3.3% is expected to be secured by means of (1) the interchange power receipt using the Kitamoto linkage facility, (2) additional power from private power generation, and (3) the activation of the “Notice Adjustment Agreement” to suppress the power demand of large customers, However, in order to prepare for the shortage of power supply by any chance, the government will make perfect preparations by proceeding with power saving request, preparation for “Negawatt Power Bidding”, utilization of Ishikari Bay New Port Power Station Unit 1 (LNG power plant, 540,000 kW capacity at transmission end), etc.
Source: Monthly Magazine “Energy Conservation”