Chubu Electric Power

Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc., abbreviated as Chuden in Japanese, is a Japanese electric utilities provider for the middle Chūbu region of the Honshu island of Japan. It provides electricity at 60 Hz, though an area of Nagano Prefecture uses 50 Hz. Chubu Electric Power ranks third among Japan's largest electric utilities in terms of power generation capacity, electric energy sold, and annual revenue. It is also one of Nagoya's "four influential companies" along with Meitetsu, Matsuzakaya, and Toho Gas. Recently, the company has also expanded into the business of optical fibers. On January 1, 2006, a new company, Chubu Telecommunications, was formed.

History

In 1988, Chubu Electric Power Company sponsored a film about Beavers, called Beavers. The beavers filmed for the production were hand-reared in a natural setting under the care of wildlife expert, William Carrick. Accustomed to the presence of humans, but untrained, the beavers went about their business while the camera crew watched. The IMAX® camera began recording in February 1987 near Port Perry, Ontario in chilly waters under nearly 2 feet of ice. Mal Wolfe was behind the camera for the under-ice sequences. The film is 34 minutes low and was produced by Stephen Low.[1]

In 2008, Chubu Electric formed a joint joint venture with French utility company EDF to purchase coal. In 2016, Chubu Electric acquired EDF Trading’s coal and freight business and passed it onto its subsidiary JERA.[2][3][4][5] EDF Trading acquired a 33 per cent stake in JERA Trading as a part of the transaction while JERA took full control of the Amstuw BV, the operator of the Rietlanden coal terminal in the Netherlands and EDF Trading Australia.[6][7]

In 2015, Chubu Electric and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) created a 50:50 joint venture JERA to handle the upstream energy and Liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel procurement for both companies.[8] In March 2017, the two companies signed an agreement to integrate their fossil fuel power plants under the JERA joint venture.[9][10] The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) approved the integration plan in 13 October 2017.[11]

In August 2013, Chubu announced it would acquire an 80% stake in the Tokyo-based electricity supplier, Diamond Corp, marking the firm's entry into a market usually associated with Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).[12]

In November 2019, a consortium of Mitsubishi (80%) and Chubu Electric (20%) bought Dutch utility company Eneco for €4.1bn ($4.5bn).[13] In February 2024, Chubu Electric and Eneco signed an agreement to acquire 30 per cent of Ecowende, the developers of the Hollandse Kust West Offshore Wind Farm.[14]

In April 2020, the logo mark was renewed. The renewed logo is named "The Beam."

On 18 September 2022, Chubu Electric Power announced that it was a part of an investor consortium led by Japan Industrial Partners seeking to buy Toshiba.[15][16] Chubu Electric contributed ¥100 billion out of the ¥2 trillion (USD 15.2 billion) valuation.[17][18][19]

In May 2022, Chubu Electric bought some stake in Indian solar energy company OMC Power.[20] And in November 2024, Chubu Electric expanded its investment in OMC Power to boost energy transition in India.[21]

In January 2026, the Nuclear Regulation Authority announced it had found that Chubu Electric had fabricated data about earthquake risks at Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant, and suspended its safety evaluation for a potential plant restart.[22]

Power Stations

The company has 197 separate generating units with a total capacity of 32,828 MW.[23]

External links

• Chubu Electric Power Financial Report for Fiscal 2010
• Wiki collection of bibliographic works on Chubu Electric Power