Hokkaido Electric Power is considering developing an LNG terminal and a natural gas-fired power plant in the Tomakomai area amid efforts to decrease reliance on coal and oil-fired assets while ensuring a stable power supply, the company announced on January 30, 2026.
According to the statement, the utility plans to complete the terminal, which will allow for direct international shipments of LNG to Tomakomai, in FY2035. The power plant, which will be located adjacent to the company’s 1.65GW coal-fired Tomato-Atsuma Power Station, is expected to be commissioned in the same year. Its capacity is yet to be decided.
Hokkaido EPCO said it plans to decarbonize the power plant about 10 years after it comes online. It is considering both a conversion to clean fuels such as hydrogen or ammonia, as well as construction of a carbon capture system.
The development is tied to Hokkaido EPCO’s upcoming broader involvement in the gas industry that will be enabled by its 31 billion yen acquisition of Japan Petroleum Exploration’s (JAPEX) gas processing, sales, and pipeline businesses in Hokkaido. The transaction was agreed to in December 2025, with closing expected in FY2026.
Hokkaido EPCO currently operates a single LNG-fired unit, the 569.4MW Ishikariwan Shinko Power Station Unit 1 in Otaru City, Hokkaido, which was commissioned in February 2019. The power plant’s units 2 and 3 were awarded long-term decarbonization auction (LTDA) contracts and are scheduled for FY2030 and FY2033 completion.
