Coal mine explosion in China kills 90 people

-
A gas explosion at a coal mine in China’s northern Shanxi province killed at least 90 people, state media said on Saturday, in the country’s deadliest mining accident in recent years. Official news agency Xinhua said the accident at Changzhi city’s Liushenyu coal mine happened on Friday evening. Around 247 workers were on duty at the time. Nine miners were still unaccounted for as of Saturday afternoon, Xinhua said, and more than 120 people were hospitalized. The cause of the explosion was under investigation, Xinhua reported, and rescue work is pressing on with hundreds of rescuers and medical personnel sent to the site. Among the injured, many were hurt by toxic gas, according to state media CCTV. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an all-out effort to rescue the missing, reported Xinhua. Xi also called for the “proper handling of the aftermath of the accident and urged a thorough investigation into its cause, with accountability pursued in accordance wi...
Post a Comment

Japan regional governor to decide on restart of world’s biggest nuclear power plant

-

By Katya Golubkova Reuters

A Japanese regional governor is expected to say on Friday whether he will allow a partial restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world’s biggest, as Japan tries to revive its nuclear sector and reduce fossil fuel imports.

Approval by Niigata Prefecture Governor Hideyo Hanazumi would remove the last major hurdle for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) (9501.T), opens new tab to go ahead with plans to restart one or two of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa’s biggest reactors.

A restart would be the first for TEPCO since the March 2011 tsunami destroyed its Fukushima Daiichi power plant. It would also be a breakthrough for Japan, which after the disaster shut all 54 nuclear reactors in operation at the time, leaving it heavily reliant on fossil fuel imports vulnerable to production shocks and supply disruptions.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office last month, has said she supports more nuclear relaunches to strengthen energy security and to address the cost of imported energy, which accounts for 60% to 70% of Japan’s electricity generation.

“The restart … is extremely important from the perspective of reducing power supply and electricity prices, and securing decarbonized power sources,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said on Friday.

Of the 54 reactors in operation pre-Fukushima, Japan has restarted 14 of the 33 that remain operable.

Governor Hanazumi is expected to announce his decision at 4 p.m. (0700 GMT) on Friday. It was not immediately clear whether his decision would be affected by a report on Thursday by Japan’s nuclear regulator about inadequate management of confidential security documents at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant.

TEPCO, if approval is granted for both, plans to restart units No. 6 and No. 7, which together can produce 2,710 megawatts of electricity, or about a third of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa’s total capacity of 8,212 MW. TEPCO has said it plans to decommission some of the other five units at the facility.

In July, Kansai Electric Power (9503.T), opens new tab, Japan’s top nuclear power operator, said it would begin conducting surveys to investigate building a reactor in western Japan that would be the first new unit since the Fukushima disaster.

TEPCO shares were down 1.3% on Friday, paring losses after the Nuclear Regulation Authority’s report on Thursday and performing better than a 2.3% drop in the Nikkei index (.N225).



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/D83wphC

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Myanmar earthquake death toll rises as fresh tremors further complicate rescue efforts

-
Image
A5.1-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, on Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor was part of a series of aftershocks following Friday’s devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which resulted in the collapse of numerous buildings and significant infrastructure damage. The death toll has risen to over 1,600, with more than 3,400 individuals reported missing; these numbers are expected to increase as rescue operations continue. Foreign rescue teams and supplies arrived in Myanmar on Sunday to help the impoverished country cope with an earthquake that killed over 1,600 and left many near the epicentre scrambling for help without proper equipment. The 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmar’s strongest in a century, jolted the Southeast Asian nation on Friday, leaving 1,644 people dead, 3,408 injured and 139 missing, the military government said. India, China and Thailand are among Myanmar’s neighbours that have sent relief ...
Read more

Israel says situation on Lebanon border ‘not sustainable’

-
By James Mackenzie Reuters  Israeli officials and media reacted with satisfaction on Monday after a  long-expected missile attack  by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement appeared to have been largely thwarted by pre-emptive Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Israel seemed content to let Sunday’s attack, in retaliation for the  killing of a senior Hezbollah commander  in Beirut last month, count as settled for the moment. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said Hezbollah had suffered a “crushing blow” from the Israeli strikes but that a longer lasting solution was still needed. “The current situation is not sustainable,” he told a briefing, referring to the tens of thousands evacuated from their homes in northern Israel, a situation mirrored on the other side of the border in southern Lebanon. “Israel will do its duty and return its population to our sovereign territory.” Hopes that children might return for the start of the ...
Read more