Japanese nuclear utilization drops to 18.5% in October

摘要

Only 18.5% of Japan's 54 nuclear power units' combined capacity of 48,960 MW was utilized in October, compared to 72.3% a year earlier, according to the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum. Nuclear power generation in Japan totaled 6,726,190 MWh during October, 9.4% of total electricity generation, the Federation of Electric Power Companies said in November. Eleven nuclear units were in operation as of November 17, according to JAIF. Japan's Kyushu Electric Power Co. has decided to indefinitely postpone restart of its 890 MW Sendai-2 PWR from late November, as was originally scheduled. "The delay is due to the stress test we have to do," Kyushu spokesman Eiji Yamamoto said. Japan's nuclear power operators are required to conduct safety assessments of their capacity to withstand extreme challenges like the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that destroyed four of six reactors at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima I.