Electricity Generation from Test Operations Begun at Joetsu Thermal Power Station Unit 1-1

This is to announce that Chubu Electric Power today arranged the gas turbine of Joetsu Thermal Power Station Unit 1-1, which is currently in test operation, into a power system and began generating electricity from the test operations.

The Joetsu Thermal Power Station uses state-of-the-art combined-cycle power generation with LNG (liquefied natural gas) as fuel. Chubu Electric Power has been building the station to reduce CO₂ emissions by achieving Japan's highest thermal efficiency* (the aim is for at least 58%) and to contribute to electricity supply stability in the Nagano Prefecture area.

We estimate that once all the facilities are in operation, increases in the overall thermal efficiency of the thermal power equipment will reduce LNG usage by 600,000 tons per year and CO₂ emissions by about 1.6 million tons per year.

Looking ahead to the start of commercial operations at Unit 1-1 in July 2012, we continue to fully verify functionality and safety during test operations and prepare so that our facilities will be able to provide a reliable supply well into the future.

*Thermal efficiency is a figure that expresses the percentage of thermal energy from fuel combustion that is converted into electric energy.

[Overview of the Joetsu Thermal Power Station]