Japan's TEPCO uses less fuel oil, coal, LNG in June

TOKYO, July 10 (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO)
(9501.T) said its consumption of several thermal power fuels fell
in June from a year earlier, as Japan's worst recession in
decades hurts demand for electricity.

Fuel oil consumption dropped 21 percent and coal plunged by
nearly half, while liquefied natural gas (LNG) edged lower,
Asia's largest utility said in a statement on Friday. Its use of
crude oil rose slightly in June from the year before.

For details on purchases and consumption, see the table
below.

Japan generated 8.3 percent less electricity year-on-year in
May, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan said
last month, as recession led many large industrial consumers to
curb production, limiting power demand. [ID:nT328399]

The industry group is set to release its data for June on
Monday, and a fall in power generation for the month would mark
the 11th straight month of declines.

Also limiting fuel purchases, TEPCO in June boosted output to
full capacity from the No.7 generator at its Kashiwakazi-Kariwa
nuclear plant, the world's largest, which had been shut for
nearly two years after it was damaged in an earthquake.

Last week the utility requested approval from three local
governments to restart a second unit at the plant. [ID:nT287051]

Following is a table of TEPCO's consumption and purchases
for June, compared with a year earlier. Volumes of crude and fuel
oil are in kilolitres; LNG and coal in tonnes.

PURCHASES CONSUMPTION

June 09 June 08 % chg June 09 June 08 % chg
Fuel oil 356,000 478,000 -25.5 394,000 499,000 -21.0
Crude oil 206,000 262,000 -21.4 224,000 220,000 +1.8
LNG 1,661,000 1,580,000 +5.2 1,432,000 1,453,000 -1.4
Coal 65,000 300,000 -78.3 131,000 239,000 -45.2
(Reporting by James Topham; Editing by Chris Gallagher)