ID :
59812
Sat, 05/09/2009 - 21:31
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/59812
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Quake-hit Kashiwazaki nuclear plant restarts after 2-year suspension
NIIGATA, Japan, May 9 Kyodo -
Tokyo Electric Power Co. restarted operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear
power plant in Niigata Prefecture on Saturday for the first time since the
world's largest nuclear plant in terms of output was shut down in July 2007
when a major earthquake hit the area.
After a trial operation period of about 40 to 50 days to confirm the safety of
restarted operations at the plant's No. 7 reactor, the 1.356-million-kilowatt
advanced boiling-water reactor is scheduled to return to commercial operation,
Japan's biggest electric utility said.
Tokyo Electric began withdrawing rods for controlling nuclear fission Saturday
afternoon and the reactor started a sustained nuclear reaction about one and a
half hours later.
The company plans to begin electricity generation about one week from now by
turning turbines with steam generated by the reactor.
The output of the reactor will be gradually raised to 100 percent and the
company will check the functions of the turbines and whether there is any
leakage from pipes and valves. If things go smoothly, such safety check work
will be completed in late June.
A technical panel in Niigata Prefecture will discuss the safety of the plant
before the reactor enters commercial operation. The safety assessment by the
panel is one of the conditions set by the prefectural government for its
approval of the resumption of operations at the plant.
All seven reactors at the 8.212-million-kilowatt nuclear plant have been
suspended since a magnitude 6.8 quake hit the area. Repair work on the No. 7
reactor finished earlier than others.
After the central government allowed Tokyo Electric to resume the nuclear
reactor's operations, the firm proposed the resumption to local municipalities
in February.
Tokyo Electric had so far managed to cover its capacity shortage to supply
power due to the suspension of the nuclear reactor by raising the operation
rate of its thermal power plants.
But the alternative operation resulted in a cost increase due to soaring crude
oil prices till last summer, forcing the company to book a group net loss of
84.5 billion yen in fiscal 2008 ended March 31 for its second consecutive
money-losing year.
==Kyodo
Tokyo Electric Power Co. restarted operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear
power plant in Niigata Prefecture on Saturday for the first time since the
world's largest nuclear plant in terms of output was shut down in July 2007
when a major earthquake hit the area.
After a trial operation period of about 40 to 50 days to confirm the safety of
restarted operations at the plant's No. 7 reactor, the 1.356-million-kilowatt
advanced boiling-water reactor is scheduled to return to commercial operation,
Japan's biggest electric utility said.
Tokyo Electric began withdrawing rods for controlling nuclear fission Saturday
afternoon and the reactor started a sustained nuclear reaction about one and a
half hours later.
The company plans to begin electricity generation about one week from now by
turning turbines with steam generated by the reactor.
The output of the reactor will be gradually raised to 100 percent and the
company will check the functions of the turbines and whether there is any
leakage from pipes and valves. If things go smoothly, such safety check work
will be completed in late June.
A technical panel in Niigata Prefecture will discuss the safety of the plant
before the reactor enters commercial operation. The safety assessment by the
panel is one of the conditions set by the prefectural government for its
approval of the resumption of operations at the plant.
All seven reactors at the 8.212-million-kilowatt nuclear plant have been
suspended since a magnitude 6.8 quake hit the area. Repair work on the No. 7
reactor finished earlier than others.
After the central government allowed Tokyo Electric to resume the nuclear
reactor's operations, the firm proposed the resumption to local municipalities
in February.
Tokyo Electric had so far managed to cover its capacity shortage to supply
power due to the suspension of the nuclear reactor by raising the operation
rate of its thermal power plants.
But the alternative operation resulted in a cost increase due to soaring crude
oil prices till last summer, forcing the company to book a group net loss of
84.5 billion yen in fiscal 2008 ended March 31 for its second consecutive
money-losing year.
==Kyodo
