The Goi thermal power station replacement project involves the construction of three new gas-fired combined-cycle units of 2.34GW total capacity to replace six ageing gas-fired steam power units at the facility.

Located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, the Goi thermal power plant has been operational since 1963. The 1.8GW power plant was previously owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO). It was formally taken over by Japan’s Energy for New Era (JERA), a joint venture between TEPCO and Chubu Electric Power, in April 2019.

Goi United Generation, a joint venture company formed by JERA and JXT Nippon in March 2019, is executing the replacement project with an estimated investment of £1.48bn ($1.86bn).

The turnkey engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Goi thermal power station replacement was awarded in July 2019.

Construction works are expected to be started in 2021, while the commissioning of the three new LNG-fired combined-cycle units at the facility is scheduled between 2024 and 2025. 

Location and site details 

The Goi thermal power station is located on a 400,000m2-site at Goi-Kaigan near the Ichihara City, in the Chiba Prefecture of Japan. 

The Goi replacement project background

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) approved the Goi thermal power station replacement plan in March 2018.

JERA and JXT Nippon signed a Memorandum of Understating (MOU) to jointly construct, operate and maintain the new combined-cycle generating facility at the existing Goi thermal power station site in September 2018. 

Goi combined-cycle facility make-up

The new 2.34GW facility at the Goi thermal power station site will be equipped with three gas-fired combined-cycle units of 780MW capacity each.

Each combined-cycle unit will comprise a high efficiency, air-cooled 9HA.02 gas turbine from GE, and a steam turbine and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) from Toshiba Energy System & Solutions (Toshiba ESS).

The 1,650ºC class gas turbine unit comes with a four-stage turbine with 3D aerodynamic hot gas path and a 14-stage advanced compressor with airfoils and three stages of variable stator vanes.

The GE 9HA.02 gas turbine offers 70MW/minute ramping capability and is designed to operate at 64% thermal efficiency in one-on-one combined-cycle configuration.

Contractors involved with the Goi power station replacement

A consortium of Toshiba ESS and Toshiba Plant System & Services Corporation (TPSC) was awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the Goi thermal power station replacement project in July 2019.

Toshiba ESS is responsible for civil engineering, plant design, equipment supply, and construction work, while TPSC will be in charge of equipment installation.

Toshiba ESS will supply the steam turbines and the generators, while GE will be the supplier of gas turbines for the 2.3GW Goi combined-cycle power project. 

Goi thermal power station

The existing Goi thermal power station comprises of six LNG-fired steam power units commissioned between 1963 and 1968.

The first four units of 265MW rated power output each were commissioned in June 1963, August 1964, July 1965, and January 1966, respectively.

Units five and six of 350MW capacity each began operations in January 1968 and March 1968, respectively.

Unit six was added with a 1,100°C-class 126MW MS9001E gas-fired unit from Hitachi in 1994 which brought the total installed capacity of the power station to 1,886MW.

The LNG for the Go thermal power station is sourced from the Futtsu LNG import terminal located in Shintomi, Futtsu.