Toshiba Abandons Plan For Large Coal-Fired Power Plant In Japan - AFP

[hatrack]

Japan's Toshiba and financial services group Orix have scrapped a plan to build a major coal-fired power plant amid concern over greenhouse gas emissions, winning praise from the government Tuesday. Sigma Power Yamaguchi has withdrawn its procedure report on environmental assessments that was earlier submitted to the trade ministry.
The decision stemmed from "slowing power demand, price drops of electricity, spikes in coal fuel prices and growing concern over the global environment," the two partner firms said in a statement late Monday.

Environment Minister Yuriko Koike hailed the decision. "We regard this as a result of Sigma Power's taking growing awareness of the global environment into consideration," she told reporters.

It was the first time in Japan that a plan for a thermal power plant was abolished due to concern over global warming. The plant, which was to be constructed in Ube, in the southwest of the main island Honshu, had been scheduled to come on line in January 2009.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Japanese_Firms_Scrap_Plan_For_Coal_Fired_Power_Plant.html

[NewJeffCT]

1. well, they just bought Westinghouse

So, Toshiba is probably going nuclear anyhow.

[hunter]

2. Toshiba is nuclear, not "going nuclear."

http://www.toshiba.co.jp/product/abwr/english/history/plant/plant.htm