Tepco and Chubu to integrate thermal businesses

March 4, 2017

Tepco, Chubu to fully integrate thermal power businesses

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/03/04/business/corporate-business/tepco-chubu-fully-integrate-thermal-power-businesses/#.WLxFmfKlSos

JIJI

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. and Chubu Electric Power Co. have decided to fully integrate their thermal power operations in two or three years, sources said Friday.

The operations, which account for half of Japan’s total thermal power capacity, will be brought under Jera Co., a thermal power and fuel company jointly set up in 2015.

The two sides are expected to reach broad agreement on the integration in the near future, in line with an outline of Tepco’s new business rehabilitation program, which is due out as early as March.

Tepco hopes the integration will help improve the profitability of the thermal power operations to facilitate efforts to secure funds to clean up the March 2011 meltdowns at Tepco’s Fukushima No. 1 power plant and pay compensation to those affected.

The two sides are taking steps to integrate fuel and some other operations under Jera. The two aim to make an official decision this spring on whether to integrate their thermal power operations.