TEPCO boosts output of quake-hit nuclear reactor

TOKYO May 25 (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) (9501.T) said on Monday it had boosted output from the 1,356 megawatt, No.7 nuclear reactor at the quake-hit Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in northern Japan to 50 percent of capacity as part of a test run.

TEPCO, Asia's biggest utility, on May 9 restarted the No.7 unit for the first time since the world's biggest nuclear plant was forced to shut nearly two years ago following a magnitude 6.8 quake. It resumed power generation from the unit at 20 percent of capacity on May 19.

A company spokesman said the output at the No.7 unit was raised to 50 percent on May 23. The company's website showed that the reactor was generating 719 megawatts of power. Under a test run, output will be raised to 75 percent and then full production.

The restart of the No. 7 unit could cut TEPCO's annual fuel purchases by more than 70 billion yen ($740.2 million) and cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 5 million tonnes, according to company and Reuters calculations.

It remains unclear when the remaining six reactors will start operations, but the restoration of the 1,356-megawatt No.6 reactor has been progressing the fastest among the six.

TEPCO said last week that anti-quake safety at the No.6 reactor had been secured, and that it had asked the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency under Japan's trade ministry for confirmation.

A TEPCO spokesman said it may need a month and a half to two months to complete the checks on system functions at the No.6 unit. After the checks are finished, TEPCO needs to get approval from both the central and local governments to conduct the test runs of No.6 unit. ($1=94.57 Yen) (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Ben Tan)