Prevention of Global Warming

Unit 1 of Higashidori Nuclear Power Station Starts Commercial Operation

Higashidori Nuclear Power Station

Unit 1 (output of 1.1 million kW) of Higashidori Nuclear Power Station started commercial operation in December 2005.With this unit, the total electric output of nuclear power stations of Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (Tohoku EPCo) amounts to 3,274,000 kW, accounting for about 20% of the total installed capacity of the company.

Tohoku EPCo has made consistent efforts to reduce CO2 emissions through various measures with respect to electric power facilities, including nuclear power development, which is the pillar of our policy to cope with global warming, consulting services for customers on the effective use of electricity and active engagement in international joint efforts.The commencement of commercial operation of Higashidori Unit 1 will play a great role in achieving this purpose.

The overall CO2 emissions intensity (CO2 emissions per kWh of electricity used) in FY2005 increased by 16.9% from the previous fiscal year to 0.512 kg-CO2/kWh.This is because the availability factors of thermal power stations were increased because of the shutdown of Onagawa Nuclear Power Station due to an earthquake hit in August 2005 in Miyagi prefecture.

Active Application of the Kyoto Mechanisms

Biomass power generation project in Honduras

Tohoku EPCo has been engaged in greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects (JI and CDM) on a global scale. In February 2005, we decided to purchase CO2 credits that will be created by the biomass power generation project (under CDM) to be implemented by three Honduranian sugar manufacturing companies in Central America. We plan to acquire about 860,000 tons of CO2 credits from this project by 2012. We are now proceeding with the procedures for CDM registration of the project with the United Nations.