Japan's Chubu to buy crude to cover nuclear shutdown: sources

Japan's Chubu to buy crude to cover nuclear shutdown: sources

Tokyo (Platts)--10Jul2006

Japan's Chubu Electric Power is expected to buy more crude as it restarts
thermal power generation units to cover the unexpected shutdown of a nuclear
unit in mid June, industry sources said Monday.
"I expect Chubu will boost buying of Nile Blend crude because most of the
crude Chubu procures is Nile Blend," said a source from one refiner.
Chubu's 1.38 GW No 5 reactor at the Hamaoka nuclear plant was shut down
automatically June 15 after vanes from a turbine fell off.
On Monday the company announced the launch of a task force to prepare for
possible heat-related spike in demand during the summer. The planned restart
schedule of the No 5 reactor is unclear, a Chubu spokesman said.
"As a countermeasure for the shutdown of Hamaoka No 5, we are considering
to restart No 3 and No 4 thermal units at Taketoyo plant to cover the lack of
electricity output. We may also buy electricity from other utilities," the
spokesman said.
The Taketoyo units burn crude or fuel oil.
"We still don't know when we will restart the two thermal units. It
totally depends on electricity demand," he said.
Chubu currently operates two nuclear units with a total capacity of 2.237
GW, or 44.7% of its total nuclear power generation capacity of 4.997 GW.
The Nagoya-based utility bought 248,755 barrels of crude but no fuel oil
in May, according to the latest data released by Federation of Electric Power
Companies.

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