Measures to Prevent Reoccurrence of the Fire at Taketoyo Thermal Power Station2024/09/03

JERA Co., Inc. (“JERA”) hereby announces that it has compiled measures to prevent a reoccurrence of the fire that occurred at Taketoyo Thermal Power Station on 31 January.

At the third meeting of the Accident Investigation Committee for the Fire at Taketoyo Thermal Power Station (“the Committee”), held on 30 April, JERA summarized the causes of the accident as follows: (1 May 2024 Press Release)
•    Generation of a large quantity of dust due to high-speed transport of large amounts of woody biomass fuel.
•    Dust concentration exceeded the lower explosive limit in the coal feeder that supplies woody biomass fuel from the belt conveyor and inside the bunker where the fuel is temporarily stored.
•    Inside the coal feeder, excessive force applied to the belt caused heat-generating friction in components beneath it, leading to the ignition of biomass fuel dust that had collected in hard-to-clean spaces, causing an explosion.
　　　　　　　　

In light of the accident described above, today, at the fourth meeting of the Committee, JERA have compiled the following measures to prevent reoccurrence, having first verified their appropriateness by referring to third-party reviews of evaluation method validity and case studies from overseas companies.
•    With respect to the biomass discharge equipment, install a dedicated pneumatic conveyor for the transport of biomass that eliminates moving parts, removing the risk of mechanical friction-induced heating, and stop using the coal feeder.
•    With respect to biomass fuel transportation equipment, conveyor speed is reduced to lower the risk of dust generation and of ignition due to friction.
•    By installing additional safety equipment such as explosion suppression devices, minimize the risk of a major equipment disaster.

JERA will thoroughly implement the measures to prevent a recurrence that were compiled today, and will proceed with studies toward restoration. JERA will continue to put top priority on safety in the operation of JERA’s thermal power station, and contribute to the stable supply of electricity.