Japan's main power utility Kansai Electric Power has resumed power generation at its 826MW Takahama No.2 nuclear reactor, after an extended closure for stricter safety inspections since 2011.
Kansai reactivated the aged No.2 reactor at Takahama in Fukui prefecture on 15 September and resumed test generation on 20 September. Normal operations are scheduled to begin on 16 October, after operating at a reduced capacity of 791MW during the test run, according to data provided by the Japan Electric Power Exchange (Jepx).
Kansai has restored all of its seven reactors after the return of the Takahama No.2 reactor, which shut down for reinforcement works in November 2011 in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The Takahama No.2 reactor, the 826MW Takahama No.1 reactor and the 826MW Mihama No.3 reactor secured approval from the Fukui governor in 2021 to restart and operate for another 20 years beyond their 40-year lifespans.
The increased nuclear capacity could help reduce gas-fired generation and weighed on demand for LNG feedstock. Kansai is expected to make the most of its sole base-load coal-fired plant at Maizuru, even despite full nuclear capacity, a market source said.
Kansai's operational nuclear capacity is estimated at a monthly average of 5,054MW during December 2023-February 2024, up by 672MW compared with a year earlier, according to Argus' survey based on Jepx data. Assuming its nuclear fleet runs at full capacity, the increased nuclear generation could reduce LNG demand over the three-month period by about 195,000t or by three standard-sized cargoes on the year. This is also assuming an average generation efficiency of 49pc, in line with the 10-year average efficiency of Japan's gas-fired generation.
Kansai burned 4.3mn t of LNG in the April 2022-March 2023 fiscal year, down by 3.4pc from a week earlier. Its coal consumption also fell by 8.4pc to 3.58mn t. But its oil consumption rose by 16pc to 17,233 b/d during the period, because of its price competitiveness in the company's merit order.
