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▼ Govt Eyes Undersea Power Line From Sakhalin to Hokkaido
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The government has started to consider installing a power line linking the Hokkaido city of Wakkanai and the Russian island of Sakhalin and began arranging to form a working group with Russia to examine the scheme, with an eye to importing surplus power from thermal power plants in the Russian Far East to strengthen Japan-Russia economic relations, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
Hiroshige Seko, the minister for economic cooperation with Russia, was to present Japan’s plan at a ministerial meeting in Moscow.
The government plans to set a submarine cable about 50 kilometers long across the Soya Strait between Hokkaido and Sakhhalin.
A senior official of Russia’s leading power company estimates the construction cost would come to at least $5.7 billion (¥600 billion).
The working group is likely to discuss the costs and the work process. Tough negotiations are expected over how the burden of the costs will be borne and other issues.
The Russian Far East is known for abundant oil and natural gas. A number of thermal power plants have been constructed in Sakhalin, with their power-generating cost around one-third of the level in Japan.
The Russian side is eager to build power plants exclusively for export in the future.
Since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan has suffered escalating electricity costs due to the suspension of operations at nuclear power plants. Power imports from Russia may help cut down Japan’s electricity rates.
Seko departed from Haneda Airport on Wednesday night to discuss concrete strategies on eight agenda items for bilateral economic cooperation including energy, medicine, urban development and the latest
technology to pave the way for a Japan-Russia summit in December.
The power line project is considered the highlight of energy cooperation.
Even if the power line does come to link Japan and Russia, the Japanese government will still consider limiting the amount of power imported from Russia so as not to increase its reliance on Russia. Russia in the past suspended its natural gas supply to Ukraine amid conflict with that country.
Meanwhile, SoftBank Group Corp. announced in March an idea to launch a business to link Japan, Russia, China and South Korea with power lines in concert with a Russian state-run power transmission company and power companies in China and South Korea.
A possibility exists that the current power line scheme planned by the Japanese and Russian governments will be incorporated into SoftBank’s business plans for an international electricity network scheme in East Asia.
Hiroshige Seko, the minister for economic cooperation with Russia, was to present Japan’s plan at a ministerial meeting in Moscow.
The government plans to set a submarine cable about 50 kilometers long across the Soya Strait between Hokkaido and Sakhhalin.
A senior official of Russia’s leading power company estimates the construction cost would come to at least $5.7 billion (¥600 billion).
The working group is likely to discuss the costs and the work process. Tough negotiations are expected over how the burden of the costs will be borne and other issues.
The Russian Far East is known for abundant oil and natural gas. A number of thermal power plants have been constructed in Sakhalin, with their power-generating cost around one-third of the level in Japan.
The Russian side is eager to build power plants exclusively for export in the future.
Since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan has suffered escalating electricity costs due to the suspension of operations at nuclear power plants. Power imports from Russia may help cut down Japan’s electricity rates.
Seko departed from Haneda Airport on Wednesday night to discuss concrete strategies on eight agenda items for bilateral economic cooperation including energy, medicine, urban development and the latest
technology to pave the way for a Japan-Russia summit in December.
The power line project is considered the highlight of energy cooperation.
Even if the power line does come to link Japan and Russia, the Japanese government will still consider limiting the amount of power imported from Russia so as not to increase its reliance on Russia. Russia in the past suspended its natural gas supply to Ukraine amid conflict with that country.
Meanwhile, SoftBank Group Corp. announced in March an idea to launch a business to link Japan, Russia, China and South Korea with power lines in concert with a Russian state-run power transmission company and power companies in China and South Korea.
A possibility exists that the current power line scheme planned by the Japanese and Russian governments will be incorporated into SoftBank’s business plans for an international electricity network scheme in East Asia.
- November 4, 2016
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