Tokyo power plant temporarily halted as heatwave continues

TOKYO Kyodo A unit at a thermal power plant in northeastern Japan was halted Thursday due to a technical glitch, raising concerns over a possible blackout in Tokyo and surrounding areas, as the capital had the highest temperature for the month of June in nearly 150 years amid a simmering heatwave.

Joban Joint Power Co. operator of Nakoso coal and oil-fired power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, said the No. The 9 unit was suspended about 3 a.m. Thursday after vibrations were detected in a ventilator at the facility.

The company and industry ministry said there was no immediate risk of a power outage. The plant, which supplies electricity to a wide swath of eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, aims to restart power supply by the evening.

The glitch was an ill-timed incident as Tokyo's temperature went to 36.4 C, the highest for June since comparable data became available in 1875, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The ministry said that a surge in power consumption for air conditioners could cause a shortage of electricity, as the heatwave continues to scorch Japan, leading it to urge businesses and households to conserve electricity in Tokyo and its surrounding areas for the fourth day in a row.

The situation is compounded by the fact that some power stations damaged by a strong earthquake in northeastern Japan in March have compromised capacity.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said that 4,551 people were sent to hospitals for heatstroke or heat exhaustion in the country for the week ended Sunday, about four times greater than the same period a year ago.

Temperatures over 35 C were also observed in parts of Saitama and Gunma Prefecture, both north of Tokyo, according to the weather agency.

The agency and the environment ministry have issued a heatstroke alert in western and eastern Japan, warning people to stay hydrated and take off masks outside.

Joban Joint Power is looking at the cause of the problem at the 600,000 kilowatt unit, one of three operating units that can produce 1.45 million kilowatts in total.