Seven of Japan’s Ten Power Companies See Falling Profits Due to Higher Fuel Costs: Key Is Restarting NPPs

On January 31, Japan’s ten major power companies announced their fiscal results for the first three quarters of fiscal 2017 (that is, from April to December 2017). Ordinary profits at seven of them declined year-on-year, the exceptions being the Hokuriku Electric Power Co., the Shikoku Electric Power Co., and the Okinawa Electric Power Co. The …

Shikoku Electric Power Enjoys Increased Revenues after Ikata-3 Restart

On January 30, Japan’s Shikoku Electric Power Co. released its consolidated accounts for the third quarter of FY2017 (April 2017 to March 2018). Partly due to increased quantities of electric power sold to other power utilities thanks to the resumption of operations at its Ikata-3 Nuclear Power Plant (PWR, 890MWe), the company’s operating revenues were …

EDF proposes shutting down some French reactors from 2029

PARIS (Reuters) – French utility EDF wants to keep most of its nuclear reactors running until at least 2029, a plan that could delay the government’s goal of reducing the share of atomic power in the country’s energy generation. Philippe Sasseigne, EDF’s head of nuclear generation, said on Tuesday the state-controlled company wanted to keep …

Diablo Canyon | PG&E can close nuclear plant, commission says

In a landmark decision, the California Public Utilities Commission has decided PG&E can close Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in 2025 — and San Luis Obispo County still won’t get its much-desired $85 million mitigation settlement to support the community through the shutdown. PG&E will get more than expected for its employee retention and retraining …

Shin Kori-3 reactor operates without shutdown in first year

SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) — The state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) said Friday Shin Kori-3, an advanced nuclear reactor designed for exports, has operated without problems since coming online in December 2016. The ARP-1400 reactor in Ulsan, 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul, achieved “one cycle of trouble-free” operation for 389 days, the nuclear …

Nuclear reactor to shut down amid Germany′s atomic phase-out 

One of the reactors at the Grundremmingen plant has been switched off as part of Germany’s plan to scale back nuclear power. The power station was the site of Germany’s first fatal nuclear power plant accident. A southern German nuclear reactor was taken offline on Sunday afternoon after 33 years in operation, the plant confirmed. German …

Kansai Electric to scrap two reactors in latest blow for Japan’s nuclear sector

TOKYO (Reuters) – Kansai Electric Power Co said on Friday it will decommission two 38-year-old reactors at its Ohi nuclear plant as Japan’s electricity industry struggles to cope with new safety standards imposed after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The widely expected announcement brings to 14 the number of reactors being scrapped since the meltdowns at …

Uncertain future for nuclear policy after Japan’s high court ruling

The landmark Hiroshima High Court ruling ordering a suspension of operations at the Ikata nuclear power plant will likely have far-reaching ramifications for Japan’s nuclear energy policy. It zeroed in on an aspect that has long been an issue with the anti-nuclear lobby, the Ehime Prefecture plant’s proximity to an active volcano and the prospect …