Kouich Kitamura

Manager Global Environment Group General Office of Plant Siting & Environmental Consideration
(3-22 Nakanoshima 3-Chme, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-70 Japan)

Abstract

Kansai Electric Power strives to reduce environmental impact that might result from all aspects of its electricity supply business, and has been developing a concrete company-wide program entitled "Kansai Electric's Action Plan for Global Environmental Considerations" . Furthermore the company introduced a "New ERA Strategy" as a comprehensive policy to reduce CO2 emissions. The company is continuing to explore new applications of this concept. "ERA" is an acronym for Efficiency (efficient use of energy), Reduction (reduction of CO2 emissions in electric power generation), and Absorption (expanded use of natural absorption mechanisms) . Under the new ERA Strategy, the company will decrease its dependence on fossil fuels by promoting nuclear power generation and improving the thermal efficiency of fossil fuel power plants; it will also appeal to customers for energy conservation, and promote studies on CO2 absorption and fixation using organisms existing in nature, thereby achieving Efficiency, Reduction, and Absorption.

Key words: action plan for global environmental considerations, new ERA strategy, the optimum efficiency, flue gas CO2 recovery, levelling off of peak load