First time in 42 years.
The picture below shows when each power plant went offline.
Post-nuclear party time!
The picture below shows when each power plant went offline.
Post-nuclear party time!
北海道電力泊原発３号機（北海道泊村）が５日夜、定期検査のため運転を停止し、国内の原発５０基全てが止まった。全基停止は、商業用原発が２基しかなかった７０年以来４２年ぶり。関西電力大飯原発３、４号機（福井県おおい町）が再稼働の手続きを進めているが、地元同意を得るには至っておらず、７０年代の石油危機後に原発を基幹エネルギーに据えて以降では初の「原発ゼロ」となった。電力不足の懸念を抱えたまま夏の需要期を迎えようとしている。【小倉祥徳、鈴木梢】
北電によると、泊３号機は５日午後５時ごろから原子炉に制御棒を挿入して出力を下げ始め、同１１時３分に発電を止めた。６日午前２時ごろに原子炉が停止。炉内が安定する冷温停止は７日午後の見込みという。
日本原子力発電の東海原発（茨城県東海村）が初営業発電を始めたのは６６年。７０年代に入ると電力供給の原発依存度は急速に高まり、１０年度には全電力量の２６．４％を原発５４基（うち福島第１の４基は今年４月に廃止）態勢でまかなっていた。
GUARDIAN
May 5, 2012
May 5, 2012
Japan is shutting down its last working nuclear reactor as part of the safety drive imposed after the March 2011 tsunami triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima plant.
The closure of the third reactor at the Tomari plant in Hokkaido prefecture, northern Japan, means all of the country's 50 nuclear reactors have been taken offline, leaving the country with no nuclear-derived electricity for the first time since 1970.
Hokkaido Electric said it started lowering output from the reactor at 5pm (8am GMT). The unit should be shut down completely by the early hours of Sunday.
Hundreds of people marched through Tokyo waving banners to celebrate what they hope will be the end of nuclear power in Japan.
Until last year's earthquake and tsunami triggered radiation leaks at Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japan was the world's third-biggest user of atomic energy.
All the reactors have been shut down for routine maintenance. They must withstand tests against earthquakes and tsunamis, and local authorities must give their consent in order for plants to restart.
The trade minister, Yukio Edano, and three other ministers have been trying to win public backing to restart two reactors taken offline at Kansai Electric Power's Ohi nuclear plant to help ease expected power shortages of nearly 20% in the summer. The reactors are the first to be considered for reactivation by the government, but it faces an uphill battle to win public support.
The last time Japan had no nuclear power was for five days in May 1970, when the only two existing reactors were shut for maintenance, according to the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan.
