Japan’s Osaka Gas Launches Unit 1 at New 1.25‑GW Gas‑Fired Power Plant in Himeji

Japan’s second‑largest city gas supplier, Osaka Gas Co., Ltd., announced it has begun commercial operations of Unit 1 at its newly built 1.25‑gigawatt (GW) gas‑fired power plant in Himeji, western Japan, starting January 1, 2026. The Himeji facility features two identical units, each with 622.6 megawatts (MW) of capacity, and Osaka Gas says Unit 2 is expected to start generating electricity in May 2026. The plant uses high‑efficiency combined‑cycle gas turbine technology powered by natural gas, enabling more efficient electricity production with lower emissions compared with older coal plants. Once both units are operational, Osaka Gas’s domestic thermal power capacity will increase from about 2 GW to roughly 3.2 GW, helping meet rising electricity demand, including from data centers supporting artificial intelligence growth. This project aligns with Japan’s Strategic Energy Plan, which sees gas as a key transitional fuel on the path to achieving net‑zero carbon emissions by 2050. The government has been auctioning new gas‑fired capacity to replace aging coal stations, with approximately 7 GW awarded over the past two years. #OsakaGas #EnergyTransition #GasPower #HimejiPlant #SlimScan #GrowthStocks #CANSLIM