Japan nuclear operations: Kansai Electric restarts Mihama No.3 reactor after replacing pipe

TOKYO, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Kansai Electric Power 9503.T restarted its 826-megawatt No. 3 reactor at the Mihama nuclear power station in western Japan on October 10 after replacing a pipe that had developed a hole due to external corrosion, a company spokesperson said on Friday.

The reactor was manually shut down on September 18 for safety checks after water droplets were detected in a high-pressure turbine feedwater heater.

The company replaced the corroded pipe with a stainless steel pipe and also replaced its cover and insulation.

As of Friday, Japan has 12 opreational nuclear reactors, with a combined capacity of 11,379 MW.

Many utilities are undergoing re-licensing to meet stricter safety standards implemented after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Before the disaster, Japan operated a total of 54 reactors.

The table below shows the status of Japan's nuclear power plants.

The regional utilities are: Chubu Electric Power 9502.T, Chugoku Electric Power 9504.T, Hokkaido Electric Power 9509.T, Hokuriku Electric Power 9505.T, Kansai Electric Power 9503.T, Kyushu Electric Power , Shikoku Electric Power 9507.T, Tohoku Electric Power 9506.T and Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) 9501.T.

In the table, the companies are referred to by their regional names.

Japan Atomic Power Company (Japco), a nuclear energy company, owns two reactors.