Tokyo Electric Power Co to restart thermal power plants
13 May 2011
Tokyo Electric Power Co said today it has plans to restart thermal power plants that have been shut since the devastating earthquake in March, by this summer to avoid power shortages during the peak season for demand.
According to the company, it planned to restart the 600 MW No2 unit and 1,000 MW No 4 unit, both oil-fired, at its Hirono thermal plant, about 20 km (12 miles) south of its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. Additionally, it would restart a 1,000 MW coal-fired unit at Hitachinaka in Ibaraki, north of Tokyo.
The firm added that Tokyo would be excluded from possible rolling blackouts.
Tokyo Electric (Tepco) said it would be able to supply 55,200 MW of power by the end-July. The capacity had been estimated by the company earlier at end- August to be 56,200 MW. It has projected summer peak power demand at 55,000 MW.
It added would be able resume operations at all its thermal power plants by the end of August, barring the 350 MW of capacity at its Yokosuka thermal plant.
The utility said it had procured enough oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for increased generation at its thermal power plants.
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