Japan could see yet another power crunch next winter as demand outstrips supply, according to analysis from the country’s grid coordinator.
The power reserve ratio, which measures available spare capacity, could turn negative for the Tokyo area in January and February 2023 should it be a severely cold winter, the Organization for Cross-Regional Coordination of Transmission Operators said in a Tuesday report. Other parts of the country could also see ratios fall below the minimum 3% often required to maintain power balance during those months, OCCTO said.
This is the second winter in a row that Japan is predicting an electricity deficit for the capital, highlighting how the grid is being stretched by the retirement of older power plants and increase in intermittent renewables. The report also comes just weeks after the nation’s capital and surrounding areas almost suffered widespread blackouts because of frigid temperatures, rainy skies and generators being shut due to an earlier earthquake.