中文
A strong earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture's northern region on January 1, causing significant disruptions to power generation, media reported.
The quake forced the shutdown of 1.2 GW of coal-fired capacity at the Nanao Ota thermal power plant and reduced output at the Toyama-Shinko gas-fired power plants. It has also led to at least 48 deaths and several serious injuries, officials said.
The earthquake occurred during Japan's winter power demand season and originated in the Noto region, approximately 30 km east-northeast of Wajima and with a 1.2-meter (4-foot) depth, as reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
A major tsunami warning was issued for the Noto Peninsula, along with tsunami warnings and advisories for the coastlines of Honshu, Kyushu, and Hokkaido, which border the Sea of Japan.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) confirmed that the earthquake resulted in the closure of Hokuriku Electric's 500 MW No.1 and 700 MW No.2 coal-fired units at the Nanao Ota thermal power plant.
Additionally, the output of its 500 MW gas-fired Toyama-Shinko thermal power plant was reduced from 500 MW to 300 MW and it would continue at the reduced rate, according to the METI.
METI said that around 34,000 households in affected prefectures experienced power outages as of 8:00 p.m. local time on January 1, due to damages at electricity receiving and distribution facilities, rather than transmission lines and substations.
About 33,000 people remained without power on Tuesday morning, according to Hokuriku Electric.
To ensure electricity supply, Hokuriku Electric made arrangements for Kansai Electric to supply power to Hokuriku Electric. Meanwhile, Japan's largest energy generator JERA temporarily shut down a 595 MW gas-fired unit at the Joetsu thermal power plant for inspection. However, JERA stated that the unit would be restarted on January 2.
In Russia's Far East regions of Sakhalin, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, and Primorye, local authorities also issued tsunami warnings. These regions are vital for oil and gas production, as well as for the operation of ports and pipelines that supply Asian markets.
Transneft, the Russian pipeline operator, confirmed that there were no issues with supplies via the network.
(Writing by Riley Liang Editing by Harry Huo)
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