Japan shuts down another nuclear power plant

TOKYO, May 13 (Itar-Tass) -- To avoid another potential nuclear
disaster caused by a devastating quake and tsunami Japan is temporarily
shutting down its Hamaoka nuclear power plant 200 kilometers southwest of
Tokyo at the government's request.
Following the worst nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi, the Chubu
Electric Power Co. began early on Friday to insert control rods into one
of the two operating reactors. After halting the No. 4 reactor as early as
the afternoon, the utility is slated to shut down the No. 5 reactor
Saturday, bringing fully to a stop the plant, located on a major active
fault zone, Kyodo news reported.
The plant's Nos. 1 and 2 reactors are already set to be
decommissioned, while its No. 3 reactor has been suspended for checkups.
Three operating reactors at Hamaoka produced closed to 10 percent of
all electricity generated by Chubu Electric Power. To meet summer peak
demand the utility plans to reboot its suspended thermal power plant and
ask its energy users to save on electricity.
Chubu Electric hopes to reactivate the plant on the Pacific Coast as
soon as it builds breakwater facilities and takes other measures to
protect against the impact of a tsunami.
The plant in the city of Omaezaki is expected to stay halted for two
to three years.