Osaka Gas has started commercial operations at the No.1 unit of its new 1.25GW Himeji gas-fired power plant in western Japan, increasing its domestic thermal power generation capacity. The Himeji facility, using a gas turbine combined-cycle system, will see the No.2 unit operational in May, raising capacity to 3.2GW.

Japan’s Strategic Energy Plan aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, with natural gas identified as a transition fuel. The country is increasing new gas-fired capacity to replace ageing coal plants, meeting rising electricity demand from data centers and AI applications.

ArcLight Capital Partners reached an agreement to acquire interests in Kleen Energy Systems, a 620MW natural gas-fired power generation asset in the US. The acquisition aligns with addressing increased power demand driven by AI and electrification trends, as data center growth and electric vehicle adoption fuel the need for sustainable power solutions.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: Osaka Gas begins operations at new Himeji plant in Japan