Japan

TEPCO has restarted Unit No. 7 of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station after refueling and replacement of its assemblies. The Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc. shut it down on September 26, 2009 due to fuel leakage. After conducting minute investigation, 100 fuel assemblies were replaced, including the one found to be leaking. There were also those found without debris filters that also had to be replaced. Major inspections and restoration works and nonconformances are ongoing at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station after the 2007 Niigata-Chuetsu-Oki Earthquake.

Satisfactory evaluation results of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant while generating power at 75 percent prompted TEPCO to test it while maximising generation.

Japanese electricity demand in June was down 7.9 percent on last year to 64.4 billion kWh. This was measured in terms of the total electricity sales of the 10 power companies in Japan.

The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (TEPCO) expects its peak demand of summer 2009 to be about 61.00 million kW per month, in both July and August, with the assumption of normal summer temperatures.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company will pursue mutual exchange and cooperation with Saudi Electric Company in the field of electricity business.

TEPCO gained approval to restart unit No.7 of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station from concerned political units.

The decrease in electricity sales due to lesser power demand for heating forced Kansai Electric to revise its financial forecasts.

The FEPC will aim for an emission intensity of 0.33kg-CO2/kWh by 2020. This is approximately 30 percent less than the outlook made in 2008.

Chubu Electric conducted geological surveys of the area around the planned Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station Reactor No. 6 building site. It is part of the company's basic review of its replacement plan of major facilities.

A severe business situation has prompted Tokyo Electric Power Company to establish a new business management plan.

Kyushu Electric registered electric sales of about 6,943 million kWh for February 2009, down by 7.4 percent from February 2008. The sales volume was below the previous year's level for six months in a row.

Chubu Electric has received MOX fuel that will be used for its Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station to generate pluthermal energy in Reactor No. 4. The reactor had been started as early as 4 August 2003 for trial operations.

A village near the northern tip of Japan's main island is the proving ground for a 5-meter-high (16- foot) bank of batteries built by NGK Insulators Ltd., the Japanese industrial-ceramics maker that may be the world's cheapest wind-energy play.

As one of the world's foremost users of electricity, Japan has a huge burden to carry when it comes to power generation. Logically, it seems that the best way to satisfy this need is nuclear energy. It's relatively clean, efficient, and totally in sync with Japan's meticulously high-tech national character. However, recent events involving repeated safety shutdowns have been leaving power-watchers sceptical about Japan's nuclear future. Japan has been harnessing nuclear power since 1966. At present, there are 55 nuclear plants providing approximately 30% of the country's electricity, and this number is expected to rise up to 40% by 2017.