nuclear-news

Drop in Japan’s nuclear power use

Japan March nuclear plant use falls to 4.2 pct  Apr 6, 2012 
* Down from 6.1 pct in Feb. and 58.3 pct a year ago

* Fall reflects shutdown of Tepco’s last active reactor

* 2011/12 run rate falls to record-low 23.7 pct 

TOKYO, April 6 (Reuters) – Japan’s nuclear power plant utilisation rate for 10 utilities with reactors fell to an average 4.2 percent in March from 58.3 percent a year earlier, Japan Atomic Industrial Forum Inc (JAIF) said on Friday.

The run rate was down from 6.1 percent in February after the shutdown
of Tokyo Electric Power’s 1,356-megawatt Kashiwazaki-Kariwa No.6
reactor on March 26. The run rate in March was the lowest since
comparable data was first compiled in April 1977.

Only one of Japan’s 54 reactors is currently generating power amid
public fears about nuclear safety due to the radiation crisis at Tokyo
Electric Power Co’s Fukushima Daiichi plant. The crippled plant has
made authorities wary of giving utilities the go-ahead to restart
units closed for routine maintenance.
The remaining active reactor, Hokkaido Electric Power’s 912-MW Tomari
No.3 unit, is set to be shut on May 5 for maintenance.

In fiscal year 2011/12, which ended on March 31, the nuclear run rate
averaged 23.7 percent, down from 67.3 percent in the previous year.
That marked the lowest in comparable data history going back to
1971/72.

Japan has 54 nuclear power generators for commercial use, with a total
generating capacity of 48,960 megawatts, the world’s third-biggest
nuclear generation capacity after the United States and France.

The following is a list of nuclear power firms and the nuclear power
plant utilization rate for last month, with year-earlier figures in
parentheses.:……
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/06/nuclear-japan-utilisation-idUSL3E8F60Y820120406

April 7, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general