Yokosuka Thermal Power Station
Encyclopedia
is a large thermal power station
operated by Tokyo Electric in Yokosuka, Kanagawa
, Japan. The facility is located in Kurihama, at the southern tip of Miura Peninsula
.
turbine, went on line in October 1960. A total of 8 units were constructed by 1970, giving the plant a total power generating capacity of 2630 MW, which served to power the cities of Kanagawa Prefecture
and Tokyo Metropolis.
An additional gas turbine
Unit 1 burning light oil
was opened on an experimental basis in July 1971, followed by Gas Turbine Unit 2 (burning natural gas
) in July 1993. However, plans were made to close the facility by the mid-2000s due to rising fuel and maintenance costs. Unit 1 was closed in December 2004, followed by Unit 2 and Units 5-8 in March 2006. All remaining units were closed by April 2010.
In order to meet the expected shortage of electrical energy from the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
, Tokyo Electric began reactivating mothballed portions of the plant, bringing Gas Turbine Unit 2 back on line on April 28, 2011, Gas Turbine Unit 1 on June 2, 2011. Unit 3 was restored on June 19 and Unit 4 on July 6. Total generating capacity is now at 874 MW.
Tokyo Electric is planning to replace all existing equipment at the Yokosuka Thermal Power Plant with 13 new gas turbine units with a total rated capacity of 3296 MW within 2011.
Unit 2 (scrapped)
Unit 3 (operational)
Unit 4 (operational)
Unit 5 (mothballed)
Unit 6 (mothballed)
Unit 7 (mothballed)
Unit 8 (mothballed)
Gas Turbine Unit 1 (operational)
Gas Turbine Unit 2 (operational)
Thermal power station
A thermal power station is a power plant in which the prime mover is steam driven. Water is heated, turns into steam and spins a steam turbine which drives an electrical generator. After it passes through the turbine, the steam is condensed in a condenser and recycled to where it was heated; this...
operated by Tokyo Electric in Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
, Japan. The facility is located in Kurihama, at the southern tip of Miura Peninsula
Miura Peninsula
is a peninsula located in Kanagawa, Japan. It lies south of Yokohama and Tokyo and divides Tokyo Bay, to the east, from Sagami Bay, to the west. Cities and towns on the Miura Peninsula include Yokosuka, Miura, Hayama, Zushi, and Kamakura....
.
History
Plans to build a power station in Yokosuka were drawn up in 1957, and a site was prepared next to Kurihama Port by filling in part of the bay. The 1st unit with a 265 MW General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
turbine, went on line in October 1960. A total of 8 units were constructed by 1970, giving the plant a total power generating capacity of 2630 MW, which served to power the cities of Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
and Tokyo Metropolis.
An additional gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
Unit 1 burning light oil
Light oil
Light oil may refer to:*Light fuel oil produced through distillation.*Light crude oil, which is less viscous than intermediate and heavy crude oil....
was opened on an experimental basis in July 1971, followed by Gas Turbine Unit 2 (burning natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
) in July 1993. However, plans were made to close the facility by the mid-2000s due to rising fuel and maintenance costs. Unit 1 was closed in December 2004, followed by Unit 2 and Units 5-8 in March 2006. All remaining units were closed by April 2010.
In order to meet the expected shortage of electrical energy from the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
The is a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The plant comprises six separate boiling water reactors originally designed by General Electric ,...
, Tokyo Electric began reactivating mothballed portions of the plant, bringing Gas Turbine Unit 2 back on line on April 28, 2011, Gas Turbine Unit 1 on June 2, 2011. Unit 3 was restored on June 19 and Unit 4 on July 6. Total generating capacity is now at 874 MW.
Tokyo Electric is planning to replace all existing equipment at the Yokosuka Thermal Power Plant with 13 new gas turbine units with a total rated capacity of 3296 MW within 2011.
Generating Units
Unit 1 (scrapped)- Rated capacity: 265 MW (GEGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
) - Operational: October 1960 – December 2004
Unit 2 (scrapped)
- Rated capacity: 265 MW (ToshibaToshibais a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
) - Operational: September 1962 – March 2006
Unit 3 (operational)
- Rated capacity: 350 MW (GE)
- Operational: May 1964 – April 2010; resumed from June 19, 2011
- Fuel: Heavy OilHeavy oilHeavy oil may refer to:*Fuel oil that contains residual oil left over from distillation.*Heavy crude oil, viscous crude oil.*Coal tar creosote, a wood preservative and waterproofing agent....
, Crude Oil
Unit 4 (operational)
- Rated capacity: 350 MW (Toshiba)
- Operational: July 1964 – March 2006; resumed from July 6, 2011
- Fuel: Heavy Oil, Crude Oil
Unit 5 (mothballed)
- Rated capacity: 350 MW (Toshiba)
- Operational: July 1966 – April 2010
- Fuel: Heavy Oil, Crude Oil
Unit 6 (mothballed)
- Rated capacity: 350 MW (Toshiba)
- Operational: January 1967 – April 2010
- Fuel: Heavy Oil, Crude Oil
Unit 7 (mothballed)
- Rated capacity: 350 MW (Toshiba)
- Operational: September 1969 – April 2010
- Fuel: Heavy Oil, Crude Oil
Unit 8 (mothballed)
- Rated capacity: 350 MW (Toshiba)
- Operational: January 1970 – April 2010
- Fuel: Heavy Oil, Crude Oil
Gas Turbine Unit 1 (operational)
- Rated capacity: 30 MW (Toshiba)
- Operational: July 1971 – April 2010; resumed from June 2, 2011
- Fuel: Diesel
Gas Turbine Unit 2 (operational)
- Rated capacity: 144 MW (Toshiba)
- Operational: July 1993 – April 2010; resumed from April 28, 2011
- Fuel: Light Oil, Natural GasNatural gasNatural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...