Tokyo Elec. Mulling Purchase From Nippon Oil-Tokyo Gas Power Plant

Tokyo, Nov. 22 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Co. is considering buying electricity from a thermal power plant being built by Nippon Oil Corp. and Tokyo Gas Co. , informed sources said Thursday.

The power utility aims to ensure stable supply next summer because it has been suspending operations of its earthquake-damaged Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture since July this year, the sources said.

Tokyo Electric has likely sounded out Nippon Oil about the electricity purchase plan and is expected to hold detailed negotiations soon, the sources said.

A Tokyo Electric official said the company is mulling purchasing electricity from various power suppliers because of its expected severe output situation, but declined to comment on details.

Nippon Oil and Tokyo Gas are building the thermal power plant in Kawasaki to start its operations next April, with 51 pct of the cost shouldered by the major oil distributor and the rest by the gas utility.

A 423,700-kilowatt generator of the plant will begin operations in April and another, in October.

Last summer, Tokyo Electric managed to avert power shortages by procuring electricity from other power suppliers and making the first move in 17 years to cut supply to major industrial users.

With the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant unable to resume operations, Tokyo Electric aims to make its output capacity next summer 2.5 million kilowatts greater than last summer’s levels by restarting unused thermal plants. On concerns over possible troubles at old thermal plants, however, the company is required to make further efforts to secure stable power supply.END

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