Japanese utility Tohoku Electric Power Co (9506.T: Quote, Profile, Research) restarted its 250-megawatt oil-fired power plant in Hachinohe in northern Japan at 5:12 a.m. on Thursday (2012 GMT Wednesday) after manually shutting it down following a big earthquake in the region. [ID:nT373018]

The company shut the plant down manually as a precaution at 0:27 a.m. on Thursday (1527 GMT Wednesday) after the quake, but restarted it after it found no damage at the facility, a company spokesman said.

The plant can run on fuel oil and crude oil, but fuel oil is the main feedstock. (Reporting by James Topham)