Most of the plant will be maintained in a 'quiescent state', which means functioning at a low level, until then.

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But, it is two hours drive from his home in Nairobi on a badly maintained road, so he spends the week at the ash plant and the weekends in town.

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For a start, Naoto Kan, the prime minister, has maintained relative calm despite the menacing situation at Fukushima Dai-ichi, the crippled nuclear plant.

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The company said that it made the decision reluctantly, but added that the plant was a very old facility and substantial levels of investment would be required if production was to be maintained in the long-term.

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