A plan has been finalized to double the capacity of the grid that exchanges electricity between regions in order to expand the introduction of renewable energy.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will consider how to proceed with maintenance and how to bear the cost.
According to the draft plan compiled by the OCCTO, which regulates the supply and demand of electricity nationwide, the capacity of the power grid connecting regions will be doubled in the future.
Specifically, we will newly develop a submarine cable that directly connects Hokkaido, which has a lot of land suitable for offshore wind power generation, and Kanto, which is a consumption area.
The capacity is 8 million kilowatts, which is nearly nine times the capacity of the current power grid connecting Hokkaido and Honshu.
In addition, the distance between Kyushu, where solar power generation is widespread, and the Chugoku region will be doubled to 5.56 million kilowatts.
Increasing the capacity to accommodate electricity across regions is expected to lead to further expansion of the introduction of renewable energy and the securing of a stable supply of electricity.
However, since the maximum cost for maintenance is expected to be 4.8 trillion yen, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is planning to consider the priority of maintenance and how to bear the cost.