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TOKYO - Japan is set to go without nuclear energy for the firsttime since 1970 from Saturday, when the last operating reactorshuts down for maintenance, heightening fears of a looming powercrunch this summer. Only one of Japan's 50 reactors - at the Tomari nuclear plant innorthernmost Hokkaido - is operating at present, but it isscheduled to stop for maintenance work which will last more than 70days. Resource-hungry Japan relied on nuclear energy for about one-thirdof its electricity demand until a massive earthquake and tsunami inMarch last year caused reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichiplant. Since the disaster there has been lingering public distrust overnuclear energy and all but the one reactor at the Tomari plant aresuspended for extra safety checks. Workers at the Tomari plant will move the control rod into reactorNo. 3 at about 5:00pm (0800 GMT) on Saturday, which will lowerpower generation to zero, a spokesman at Hokkaido Electric PowerCo. (HEPCO) said. The long-term future of the reactor - and Japan's nuclear energypolicy - remains uncertain. The government of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has said two of theoffline units at the Oi nuclear power plant, western Japan, aresafe enough to restart and that they could help prevent powershortages in the hot summer months. But it remains unclear if or when the government will gain approvalfrom regional authorities to resume the reactors. The Oi plant's operator, Kansai Electric Power, which suppliesmid-western Japan, including the commercial hubs of Osaka, Kyotoand Kobe, has said it could face an electricity shortfall of almost20 per cent if temperatures soar in July. And the utility said it could remain up to 16 per cent short inAugust as increased air conditioner usage zaps the electricityproduced by its thermal fuel plants. Kyushu Electric Power, covering an area further west, as well asHEPCO in the north, also said they will not be able to meet summerdemand without nuclear energy. Increased use of thermal fuel plants hikes costs for utility firms,as well as greenhouse gas emissions for the country. Critics of atomic energy point to continuing efficiencies that haveallowed the world's third largest economy to all but shrug offprevious dire warnings of shortages. A series of anti-nuclear power demonstrations are planned onSaturday, the Children's Day national holiday in Japan, calling fora safer future for younger generations. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as LED Module Manufacturer , LED Panel Light Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit High Power LED Floodlight today!
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