Japan utility seeks nod to restart 2 nuke reactors
Source: Agencies |
April 10, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A JAPANESE utility sought government approval yesterday to restart two nuclear reactors even though some key upgrades to prevent another nuclear crisis will take three years.
All but one of Japan's 54 reactors are offline for regular safety checks, and the last will be shut down in May. Residents fear another disaster like the Fukushima crisis, but Japan faces a severe power shortage if reactors are not restarted.
The government issued new safety guidelines to address residents' worries, but it gave no deadline for when the improvements must be finished. Utility officials say the full upgrades will take three years.
Kansai Electric Power Co submitted its safety plans for two reactors in Fukui prefecture, and the government's decision on whether to restart the reactors may come later this week.
"We'll aim to achieve the world's top-class safety at our plants," said Kansai Electric President Makoto Yagi as he handed the safety improvement roadmap to Economy and Industry Minister Yukio Edano.
But more than one third of the upgrades on the list are still incomplete, the utility said.
Filtered vents that could cut radiation leaks in case of an accident threatening an explosion, a radiation-free crisis management building, and fences to block debris washed up by a tsunami won't be ready until 2015. This means the plant, workers and residents won't be protected from radiation leaks if an accident occurs while the measures are being taken.
All but one of Japan's 54 reactors are offline for regular safety checks, and the last will be shut down in May. Residents fear another disaster like the Fukushima crisis, but Japan faces a severe power shortage if reactors are not restarted.
The government issued new safety guidelines to address residents' worries, but it gave no deadline for when the improvements must be finished. Utility officials say the full upgrades will take three years.
Kansai Electric Power Co submitted its safety plans for two reactors in Fukui prefecture, and the government's decision on whether to restart the reactors may come later this week.
"We'll aim to achieve the world's top-class safety at our plants," said Kansai Electric President Makoto Yagi as he handed the safety improvement roadmap to Economy and Industry Minister Yukio Edano.
But more than one third of the upgrades on the list are still incomplete, the utility said.
Filtered vents that could cut radiation leaks in case of an accident threatening an explosion, a radiation-free crisis management building, and fences to block debris washed up by a tsunami won't be ready until 2015. This means the plant, workers and residents won't be protected from radiation leaks if an accident occurs while the measures are being taken.
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