Japan’s last nuclear reactor is down for maintenance

Kansai Electric Power Co. halted the number 4 reactor at its Ohi plant at 11 p.m. on Sept. 15 for maintenance.

Ohi’s number 3 reactor was idled earlier this month.

According to , Japan’s last operating nuclear reactor was halted for maintenance and leaving the country nuclear free for the first time since July 2012 and prompting concerns about power availability this winter.

The Ohi reactors were the only to restart after the March 2011 tsunami swamped Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima facility in March 2011, causing a meltdown at the plant.

Japan, which got about 30% of its electricity from nuclear power before the Fukushima disaster, now has all 50 of its operational reactors lying idle. The reactors will have to pass new safety standards before being restarted, according to news report.

The Ohi atomic plant is located about 95 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Osaka. It helps power the Kansai area of western Japan.

“Japan may not have enough capacity in winter without nuclear power, Makoto Yagi, chairman of the Federation of Electric Power Cos., told reporters in Tokyo on Sept. 13. Japan’s 10 regional power companies are still assessing winter power demand and supply, Yagi said.”

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