UPDATE 2-TEPCO delays nuclear plant projects, ups oil use

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By Osamu Tsukimori and Chikafumi Hodo

TOKYO, March 26 (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power Co (9501.T: Quote, Profile, Research), Japan's biggest utility, said on Wednesday it would postpone the start of commercial operations at four new nuclear power generators by one year to implement safety measures.

TEPCO also said it would bring forward the start of two coal generation projects by a year, to the business year 2013/14.

The delay for nuclear generators comes after the indefinite shutdown of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the world's largest nuclear complex, following a powerful earthquake in July 2007.

Analysts say the plant is unlikely to get clearance to be restarted before the second quarter of 2009 as the inspection and restoration work was under way. [ID:nSP343324]

"We cannot project the plans for the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa's operations," said TEPCO Executive Vice-President Masataka Shimizu, who is set to become the president in June. "We are doing our best to restore the plant."

TEPCO also said on Wednesday it expects to be able to meet its peak summer electricity demand helped by a number of measures including working its other nuclear plants and thermal plants harder.

Shimizu said that all the 10 generators at TEPCO's remaining two nuclear power plants in Fukushima will be in operation this August, while it plans to buy in 500 megawatts of electricity from other utilities if the demand surged in the summer.