2 Dec (NucNet): The business environment has “worsened significantly” for the nuclear energy industry in Japan since the nuclear accident at Fukushima-Daiichi, with concern over the effects of prolonged shutdowns on the maintenance and long-term operation of reactors, a survey by the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (Jaif) shows.
Jaif said respondents to the survey, which covers fiscal year 2013, were asked what needed to be done in the coming year to revitalise the nuclear industry and were allowed to choose multiple answers.
They called for a consistent nuclear policy by the national government (75 percent), the early restart and stable operation of nuclear units (63 percent), and the restoration of public confidence in nuclear energy (45 percent). Thirty percent called for more progress in the restoration and reconstruction of the Fukushima area and 30 percent said progress was needed on decommissioning.
The survey shows that 81 percent of respondents – all private corporations associated with the nuclear energy industry – believed business prospects for FY 2014 would remain either “flat” or worse than FY 2013.
Sixty-five percent said the prolonged shutdown of Japan’s reactor fleet would lead to a reduction in sales, with 59 percent indicating reductions would exceed 20 percent. This demonstrates “a deep concern” about the seriousness of the effects of the shutdown, Jaif said.
All of Japan’s 48 commercial reactors are offline while they undergo inspections to make sure they comply with new safety standards that came into force after the Fukushima-Daiichi accident.
Last month the governor of Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture approved the restart of the Sendai-1 and -2 nuclear reactor units after they became the first in the country to meet the new safety standards.
The survey is online:
http://www.jaif.or.jp/english/news_images/pdf/ENGNEWS01_1417509837P.pdf
