More than 1.5 trillion yen invested in new power grid construction to expand renewable energy

In order to expand the introduction of renewable energy, the challenge is to develop a power transmission network that connects Hokkaido and Kyushu, where solar and wind power generation are popular, with consumption areas such as Tokyo. A concrete development plan has been finalized, and it has been decided that a new power transmission network connecting Hokkaido and Tokyo will be built at a cost of more than 1.5 trillion yen.

While there is an urgent need to expand the introduction of renewable energy toward decarbonization, in Hokkaido and Kyushu, where there are many areas suitable for solar and wind power generation, the amount of power generation increases so much that the power supply exceeds demand and electricity is wasted. Cases have also occurred, and strengthening the power grid that connects consumption areas such as Tokyo and Osaka has become an issue.

In response to this, Octo (Electricity Wide-area Operation Promotion Organization), which coordinates electricity supply and demand across the country, has put together a concrete plan for the development of a power transmission network that connects Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Honshu, and plans to establish a plan for operators to do so next fiscal year. We have decided to make an open call.

Of this, for the power transmission network connecting Hokkaido and Tokyo, we will invest 1.5 trillion yen to 1.8 trillion yen to construct a new route for laying submarine cables in the Sea of ​​Japan, and by around 2030 the power transmission network will be 3.5 times the current level. The plan is to increase capacity.

In addition, the power transmission network connecting Kyushu and the Chugoku region will be strengthened at a cost of about 400 billion yen, and the capacity will be increased by about 30% from now in the first half of the 2030s.

In order to achieve both a decarbonized society and a stable supply of energy, it is important to develop a power transmission network that can interchange electricity over a wide area, so Octo is aiming to expand the network as soon as possible.