Shutdown of 17 Nuclear Reactors in Japan Raises Outage Fears

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, March 06, 2003

Shutdown of 17 Nuclear Reactors in Japan Raises Outage Fears

The imminent shutdown of all 17 nuclear reactors run by Japan's largest utility, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), is raising fears of power cuts in the summer, Kyodo News reported Thursday.

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The imminent shutdown of all 17 nuclear reactors run by Japan's largest utility, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), is raising fears of power cuts in the summer, Kyodo News reported Thursday.

TEPCO is making efforts to urge consumers to save electricity.

The possible shutdown of all the reactors, located in east Japan, by mid-April follows revelations last August that TEPCO falsified safety reports to cover up defects at its nuclear facilities, Kyodo reported..

The possible outages as a result of shutting down the reactors for safety checkups will affect customers in Tokyo and eight other prefectures.

The 17 reactors, which generate a total of 17 million kilowatts,have been supplying electricity for these areas, providing more than 40 percent for Tokyo and its vicinity.

The company has sought public cooperation on the need to save on electricity by placing newspaper advertisements on Feb. 26.

Since the cover-up scandal in late August, TEPCO has closed down 14 of the 17 reactors for checkups in a bid to restore the confidence of local residents.

Operations at the remaining three reactors will be suspended bythe middle of next month, according to Kyodo.

Power supply demands could still be met up to May, but it will be difficult to do so in the summer from June to early September, Kyodo said, adding that TEPCO can supply an average of 51 million kw in power generation capacity.

In July and August, when electricity use peaks, demand will surge beyond 60 million kw, Kyodo said.

The 17 nuclear reactors belong to the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station and Fukushima No. 2 nuclear power station, both in Fukushima Prefecture, and the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Niigata Prefecture.

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