Minister: Japan firms need to limit peak power use

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese trade minister Akira Amari said on Friday industry would need to restrict electricity use during peak periods after a powerful earthquake forced the shutdown of the world’s biggest nuclear power plant.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the operator of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in northwestern Japan, said it had enough capacity to meet demand without firing up expensive oil-fired back-up generators, with help from other utilities unless summer was unusually hot.


But the minister said industrial restrictions would be needed to ensure a safe margin in supplies.

TEPCO, Asia’s largest utility, said it had asked Japanese oil refiners to supply extra fuel oil but added it now had enough fuel to power up six mothballed thermal plants, if needed.

Reuters