Collaboration among power grid operators from across Japan has led to early power restoration in areas affected by the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture.
Under an industrywide collaboration plan, eight regional utility groups dispatched a total of more than 4,000 workers to help restore power to more than 90% of outage-hit areas within about a month of the massive quake.
The collaboration plan was drawn up by 10 major electricity transmission and distribution companies in July 2020, after power companies struggled to cooperate in power restoration efforts following a series of strong typhoons in 2019 as they used different tools and methods.
The Noto Peninsula quake was the first case to be covered by the collaboration plan. "We hoped to provide relief as much as possible to people in the affected areas," said Yuji Ishikawa, an official of Kansai Transmission and Distribution who oversaw the restoration work on the ground.
The Kansai Electric Power subsidiary has sent a total of 391 workers to the disaster areas since Jan. 2, while acting as a coordinator among companies sending workers there, including Tepco Power Grid and Shikoku Electric Power Transmission and Distribution.
Regular exchanges and drills had been conducted under the collaboration plan, which enabled smooth work in the Noto areas. "Although we experienced difficulties at the beginning... I think we achieved the restoration in a safe and effective way," said Naotoshi Iwamoto, another Kansai Transmission and Distribution official.
As an issue to be resolved, Ishikawa pointed to the need to improve measures to ensure hygiene and protection from the cold for relief workers. After the recent midwinter quake, such workers stayed in local hotels, but they were unable to adequately use heaters and toilets.
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