Japan’s Continued Support for Ultra-Supercritical Coal Power is Outdated

This briefing by Global Energy Monitor argues that Japan's policy of financing 'best available technology' for overseas coal power is outdated and counterproductive. It contends that ultra-supercritical plants still emit too much carbon to meet Paris Agreement goals, that Japan's absence would not prevent the use of inferior technologies, and that these investments pose significant financial and environmental risks.

• Between 2013 and 2019, Japanese public financial institutions reached financial closure on over 21 GW of coal power abroad, costing more than US$17.5 billion. An additional 3.7 GW is under negotiation, representing nearly US$4.4 billion. The total supported capacity of 24.8 GW exceeds the entire coal fleet of Australia, which is 24.4 GW.
• Japan justifies its coal financing by supporting 'best available technologies' like ultra-supercritical plants. However, the IPCC's Special Report on 1.5°C indicates that meeting Paris Agreement goals requires a two-thirds to four-fifths reduction in unabated coal power by 2030, a category that includes ultra-supercritical plants lacking carbon capture and storage.
• The claim that Japanese funding prevents the use of less efficient technology is contradicted by current negotiations. Only 32% of the coal power capacity Japan is currently considering funding is ultra-supercritical technology, which is significantly lower than the shares for China (48%) and South Korea (45%).
• Japanese-supported overseas coal projects often use emission control techniques far inferior to those used within Japan. A 2019 Greenpeace analysis found these plants can emit up to 40 times more dust, 33 times more sulfur dioxide (SO2), and 13 times more nitrogen oxides (NOx) than plants built in Japan.
• Coal power is presented as a risky investment due to financial defaults in Pakistan and Zimbabwe and the fact that new solar and wind power are now cheaper than new coal in all major global markets, making new coal plants likely to become underutilized assets.

APA

Global Energy Monitor (2020). Japan’s Continued Support for Ultra-Supercritical Coal Power is Outdated. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-Briefing-on-Japan-coal-policy_April2020_11.pdf

Chicago

Global Energy Monitor. Japan’s Continued Support for Ultra-Supercritical Coal Power is Outdated. 2020. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-Briefing-on-Japan-coal-policy_April2020_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Energy Monitor |title=Japan’s Continued Support for Ultra-Supercritical Coal Power is Outdated |date=April 2020 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-Briefing-on-Japan-coal-policy_April2020_11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalenergymonitor2020japans, author = {{Global Energy Monitor}}, title = {{Japan’s Continued Support for Ultra-Supercritical Coal Power is Outdated}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-Briefing-on-Japan-coal-policy_April2020_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }