Japan-Built Gas Plant Touted by Trump Would Be Largest in the US
(Bloomberg) -- A massive, natural gas facility that US President Donald Trump said Japan plans to build in Ohio would be the largest in the US, with capacity to power millions of homes.
Japan is expected to invest $33 billion in the project, which will be led by SoftBank Group Corp. subsidiary SB Energy, according to a US Commerce Department fact sheet outlining the investments. The site is expected to have capacity of 9.2 gigawatts, according to a statement from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday.
That’s akin to about nine traditional reactors and at full capacity could generate enough power to supply about 7.4 million homes on the largest US grid, which is operated by PJM Interconnection LLC. If built, the Ohio plant would be bigger than a 7.65-gigawatt gas project Pacifico Energy Group plans in Texas and also be one of the largest in the world — Dubai Electricity and Water Authority says its Jebel Ali facility is the biggest gas generator, at 9.547 gigawatts.
The Trump administration is seeking to accelerate the construction of big power plants to tame skyrocketing power bills as electricity demand is boosted by data centers, factories and the overall electrification of the economy. However, gas plants have their own challenges — including the surging global cost of turbines and lengthening average lead times.
Japanese companies including SoftBank, Toshiba Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. have expressed interest in participating in the US gas project, Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa told reporters on Wednesday. Firms from Japan are already among the biggest foreign investors in US power plants and gas developments.
The announcement came as a surprise to PJM, which operates a grid that extends from Washington to Chicago.
“PJM was not aware of the project but we are excited about its prospects due to the need for new supply to meet burgeoning data center/large load demand growth,” spokesman Daniel Lockwood said in an email.
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