Four Companies Apply for Restart Permits for 10 Nuclear Reactors in Japan

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--July 8 marked the beginning of a new set of revised safety standards for nuclear reactors in Japan. Following the restructuring of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency into a new branch of the Ministry of the Environment, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), Japanese power companies were left in an awkward position--they had to improve safety at their nuclear power plants, but had no firm set of standards to guide their efforts. Most companies simply went forward and performed what work was believed to be necessary, in hopes that it would meet the new standards. Four of those companies already have applied to restart 10 reactors at five power stations in Japan.

The four companies that applied for restart on July 8 are Hokkaido Electric Power Company Incorporated (TYO:9509) (Hokuden) (Sapporo, Japan), Kansai Electric Power Company Incorporated (TYO:9503) (Kanden) (Osaka, Japan), Shikoku Electric Power Company Incorporated (TYO:9507) (Yonden) (Takamatsu, Japan), and Kyushu Electric Power Company Incorporated (TYO:9508) (Kyuden) (Fukuoka, Japan).

Hokuden is applying to restart all three units at its Tomari Nuclear Power Station in southern Hokkaido, the most units at any one station. Kanden is applying to restart four units in two nuclear power stations: units 3 and 4 at Oi, and units 3 and 4 at Takahama. Both of Kanden's stations are in the Fukui prefecture. The other three units in the application process for restarts are units 1 and 2 at Kyuden's Sendai station in the Kagoshima prefecture, and Unit 3 at Yonden's Ikata station in the Ehime prefecture.

While Tokyo Electric Power Company Incorporated (TYO:9501) (Tokyo) (TEPCO) has announced its intention to apply to restart units 6 and 7 at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power station in the Niigata prefecture, the remaining four companies have made no announcements about restarting their reactors.

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