ASEAN

Heat wave puts tremendous pressure on Japan's power supply

TOKYO: For the first time in seven years, Japan has entered a three-month period to conserve electricity amid a record-breaking heat wave that has put tremendous pressure on the nation's power supply.

On Friday, the government asked households and businesses to start conserving power as supply is expected to remain tight throughout summer due to persistent heat and infrastructure issues.

Kyodo News reports that the government has asked people to reduce energy consumption without disrupting their daily life and economic activities but at the same time, it has not set any targets.

Although the government's call has been well received, some business operators said energy conservation might be limited as they wanted to take care of the customers and employee's needs.

"The only thing we can do is to turn off the lights as much as we can in staff-only areas," a spokesperson from a major restaurant chain said, adding that it would be difficult to ask customers to dine with the air conditioners set at higher temperatures.

Another spokesperson from a food manufacturer said they have no plans to reduce power consumption for air conditioning, considering its employees' health conditions while working at factories.

Japan has been facing record-high temperatures over the past week, with the highest temperatures for the month of June recorded in 338 out of 914 locations across Japan, according to the weather agency.

On Friday, temperatures reached or eclipsed 40.0 C in a record six locations, including Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture.

In central Tokyo, it reached 37.0 C in the morning, surpassing the country's "extreme heat" threshold of 35 C for the seventh consecutive day.

Tokyo Fire Department and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Medical Examiner's Office said some 1,517 people have been taken to hospitals, and 17 died from suspected heat stroke or heat exhaustion in the capital last month. Both figures marked the highest since comparable data became available in 2010.

With a heightened risk of heat strokes, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has asked the public to continue using air conditioners and instead save electricity using measures such as turning off unnecessary lights.

The Kyodo report said Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kiharaa had also urged the public to take off face masks when outdoors to prevent heat stroke.

"We are asking the public to take off the masks except for when talking at a short distance," he said.

The government has urged energy saving measures to be used mainly between 5 pm and 8 pm, when solar power generation declines.

The ministry had issued a power usage warning for four consecutive days since last Monday in Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s service area as rising temperatures in the Japanese capital and surrounding areas were expected to put pressure on the power grid.

The warning was lifted on Friday as concern over a power crunch eased. However, the risk of an electricity shortage remains due to issues such as aging thermal power plants.

Last Thursday, the Nakoso coal and oil fired power plant in Fukushima Prefecture in northeastern Japan, had to stop operations temporarily due to a technical problem but it partially resumed operations later in the same day.

Some electricity suppliers have said that they will begin implementing a point system in July to reward households that take energy saving measures.

The Japanese government has also decided to provide power saving points in August worth 2,000 yen (US$15) to households if they participate in the initiative.

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