Tokyo (Platts)--2Aug2007

Tokyo Electric Power Co. will allow the International Atomic Energy
Agency to inspect its earthquake-hit Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant
over August 6-9, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said
Thursday.

     Five inspectors from IAEA will study the damage caused by the July 16
earthquake that forced the shutdown of Tepco's largest nuclear power plant
which has a combined capacity of 8.21 gigawatt.

     The inspectors will also study the capacity of the power plant to
withstand earthquakes, through series of interviews and an inspection, METI
said.

     The IAEA inspectors will discuss and exchange information on the damage
and the inspection with METI's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency August 10,
the ministry said.

     The quake measured 6.8 on the Richter scale and rocked the Niigata region
at around 10:13 am local time July 16.

     Tepco's nuclear generation capacity has been more than halved, falling to
6.44 GW from just seven units compared with normal capacity of 17.31 GW from
17 units across Japan.

     The drop in nuclear power generation has forced Japan's biggest utility
to boost its thermal power generation using feedstocks such as direct-burning
crudes, low sulfur waxy residue, low sulfur fuel oil, LNG and coal.