Tough safety measures being considered by Japan's nuclear regulator are certain to deal a blow to utilities because it could cost tens of billions of yen to bring an old reactor into compliance, the Nikkei reported in its Wednesday morning edition.
Tough safety measures being considered by Japan's nuclear regulator are
certain to deal a blow to utilities because it could cost tens of billions of
yen to bring an old reactor into compliance, the Nikkei reported in its
Wednesday morning edition.
New measures that the Nuclear Regulation Authority is working to finalize in
July will require major extra safety systems, such as a backup cooling facility
and a ventilation system equipped with a filter for removing radioactive
materials.
The NRA intends to use these measures in deciding whether to allow idled
reactors to resume operations. But because large-scale upgrades, notably
auxiliary cooling systems, will be time-consuming, the regulator will likely
allow utilities to restart reactors on the condition that the necessary changes
will be made within about three years.
Still, many reactors 30 years or older may be scrapped because their operators
will not be able to recoup the upgrade costs, given the maximum operating life
for reactors is set at 40 years under the law.
"The central government should resolve the issue (of restarting the
reactors) in a responsible way," Fukui Prefecture Gov. Issei Nishikawa
said Tuesday in a meeting with Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshimitsu
Motegi. "Because (the future of nuclear power plants) has been left
uncertain for a long time, employment in local areas has been greatly
affected," the governor added, calling attention to the plight of
communities hosting such plants.
But the government is unlikely to tackle the highly divisive issue at least
until this summer's upper house election is concluded.
Διαβάστε ακόμα
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:58
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:54
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:32
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:27
Τρι, 17 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 20:01