Japan

Countries are raising the standards and safety precautions of nuclear power plants, not only in Asia, but all over the world as well.

Kansai Electric Power Co is facing the most severe power shortage this winter among the nine Japanese utilities that operate nuclear plants, as opposition to restarting idled reactors limits its power generation, the Nikkei business daily said on Monday.        The government's National Policy unit is expected to compile utilities' winter power supply/demand outlook as early as Tuesday, projecting a 9.5 percent power shortage in areas served by Kansai Electric in February, the report said.        A July estimate by the central government showed Kansai would have an 8.4 percent shortfall this winter. Kansai, which has the highest reliance on nuclear power among Japan's power providers, has yet to announce its winter supply/demand outlook because of uncertainty over reactor restarts.         The government is expected to ask Kansai's customers to curb power use by around 10 percent this winter, compared with cuts of 15 percent sought in the summer.        Kansai has only four of its 11 reactors running, with three of them set to be closed for maintenance by the year-end, which would limit its ability to genera Reuters

The world aims for 50% reduction in CO2 by 2050 but after the Fukushima disaster, the goal seems difficult to achieve already, said Former IEA director Nobuo Tanaka during the Singapore International Energy Week.

Shocking news as no power plants being restarted after maintenance will see Japan off all Nuclear by June 2011.

Toshiba Corp will join a seven-company consortium, led by Mitsui Chemicals, to construct and operate Japan's largest solar photovoltaic plant in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

The energy white paper calls for a reduction in the nation’s reliance on atomic power.

Good thing the government is keen to help the company that supplies power to 29m customers in Japan.

Tokyo Electric Power Co will sell its 20% stake in Eurus Energy Holdings Corp to Toyota Tsusho Corp by January.

The nuclear crisis in Fukushima has triggered a major review of the energy landscape not only in Japan, but globally. What do you think would be the eventual impact on the global energy mix?

Information on nuclear power plants along with military data on weapons including warplanes may have been stolen during the cyber attack against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

TEPCO is likely to sell a 20 percent stake in wind power developer Eurus Energy Holdings to trading firm Toyota Tsusho to help raise funds to compensate victims of Japan's nuclear crisis, states a Reuters report quoting the Nikkei newspaper.

Toshiba is participating in a seven-company consortium headced by Mitsui in plans to construct and operate a solar photovoltaic plant in Japan. Toshiba will be responsible for engineering, procurement and construction of the solar photovoltaic plant.

Japanese cabinet ministers will pursue an easing of rules on building geothermal, wind and hydraulic power plants to boost renewable energy use after the Fukushima nuclear crisis, according to Reuters, citng a Nikkei report.

Japanese nuclear experts are considering widening the evacuation zone in the event of a nuclear disaster, according to a Reuters report.

Standard & Poor's lowered its ratings on Shikoku Electric and J-Power to 'A+' from 'AA-'

Japan is still contemplating a complete closure of its nuclear power stations as one option for the country's future energy policy, according to the country's economy minister Yukio Edano.