Japanese power utilities are likely to decommission five ageing reactors that would be too costly to bring in line with tougher safety standards, the Nikkei business daily said on Thursday, as the country grapples with nuclear power's post-Fukushima future.
A final decision is expected on the reactors by the end of the business year to next March, the daily said. All 48 of Japan's nuclear reactors were gradually taken offline after the meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in 2011, and as many as two-thirds may never return to operation because of high costs, local opposition or seismic risks, a Reuters analysis showed this year.
The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is nevertheless keen to bring some reactors back online quickly, possibly as soon as next year, to ease the burden of increased fossil fuel imports that have been made more expensive by a weakening yen. The five reactors are among Japan's oldest, ranging in age from 39 to 44 years, and have relatively low generating capacity of up to 559 megawatts. More stringent safety standards after the Fukushima disaster limit a reactor's operating life to 40 years, unless it can clear toughened standards for a one-time extension of up to 20 years. The deadline to apply for that extension is July 2015. Japan's trade ministry has been pushing nuclear operators for a quick decision on scrapping ageing reactors that are too costly to upgrade, promising financial support for smooth decommissioning. The five reactors are Japan Atomic Power's Tsuruga No 1 unit, Kansai Electric Power Co's Mihama No 1 and No 2 units, Kyushu Electric Power Co's Genkai No 1 unit and Chugoku Electric Power Co's Shimane No 1 unit, the Nikkei said.
The four utilities all said no decisions had been made on decommissioning and they were still considering a possible extension of operations for the reactors. A Japan Atomic Power spokesman added that its plan to close the Tsuruga No 1 unit in 2016 for decommissioning remained unchanged. Kansai Electric is separately considering applying to extend the life of its Takahama No 1 and No 2 reactors in western Japan, which are 39 to 40 years old, sources with knowledge of the matter have said.