The GENESIS Matsushima Project is a plan by J-Power to “upgrade” an aging coal-fired power plant in Matsushima, Saikai City, Nagasaki Prefecture. The Matsushima thermal power plant is an outdated coal-fired power plant that began operation more than 40 years ago, and J-Power claims that it can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by retrofitting the plant’s Unit 2 with additional coal gasification technology. However, the amount of GHG emissions that could be reduced by adding coal gasification technology is negligible, and extending the operational life of an aging coal-fired power plant that should be decommissioned will in fact only result in more emissions.

Civil society groups and citizens who point out the problems with the GENESIS Matsushima Project have criticized the plan, calling it a “coal zombie” that will revive old coal-fired power plants like zombies rising from the dead. There is concern that additional “coal zombies” will emerge in Japan and other parts of the world.

Currently, this project has completed up to the second stage of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the Scoping Document. The third stage, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, will come out in near future. At that point, a request for comments from the public commentary will be issued, but the schedule has not yet been determined. More than 800 public comments were submitted by various organizations and individuals for the first process of EIA (the Document on Primary Environmental Impact Consideration) in September 2021, and more than 3,000 comments were submitted for the second stage in October 2022.

To stop the GENESIS Matsushima Project, we must increase public awareness and submit as many opinions as possible. We hope this short video will spark your interest in the GENESIS Matsushima Project and motivate you to submit your opinion when the next round of public comments is conducted.
(Unfortunately, only a Japanese version is available.)

You can get updated information about the GENESIS Matsushima Project from JBC and the community website “ACT Matsushima”, linked below.

Related Information

• ACT Matshima (English info.) : Information platform about GENESIS Matshima Project (Link)
• Continuing coal power means more global warming, extreme weather and disasters　(PDF)

J-Power’s Information

• J-POWER Announces Plans for Matsushima Thermal Power Plant Upgrading Plant and Equipment to Reduce CO2 Emissions; Progress on GENESIS Matsushima Plan (PDF)