Turning to the supply side, utilities are under pressure to develop an efficient and economic service through additional efforts for cost reduction. Amidst the onset of significant changes and the move toward liberalization within the power industry, Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. is attempting to live up to the challenge of improving its financial constitution and enhancing its competitive strength in preparation for the privatization of the company scheduled in the year 2003. Furthermore, the preparation of EPDC for its privatization will also involve the enhancement of its activity in the alternative energy sector, promoting capabilities for the introduction of refuse and wind based power generation. I Power Source development 1. The low environmental load and superior environmental properties of nuclear power in terms of carbon dioxide emission makes the technology a viable option for development as the primary source of power.
Nuclear power has the additional advantage of being a partially self-sufficient source of energy.
Because coal is an abundant natural resource available throughout the world, the development of coal thermal power generation is another option actively being pursued at EPDC, second in importance only to nuclear power as the source of basic power. The new generation of thermal power plants incorporate the ultra supercritical pressure boiler technology capable of improving the power efficiency while simultaneously reducing the carbon dioxide emission to cut down on the load to the global environment. EPDC is conducting fundamental research concerning coal thermal to promote the development of more efficient technologies including coal gasification compound power generation as well as research on the recovery and capturing of CO2. Hydroelectric Power Generation Hydroelectric power is a regenerable, natural source of domestically available energy free of carbon dioxide emission. EPDC intends to utilize the national water resource, promoting the development with an awareness for environmental harmony and economic efficiency.