13 Mar (NucNet): Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has accepted applications for 26 nuclear power plants at 16 sites in relation to the restart of reactors following the introduction of new safety and security standards after the March 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi accident, the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (Jaif) said.
The applications are at different stages such as public comment, volcanic issues, geographical features and various design-related safety issues.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), which owns and operates the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear site, is planning to restart the seven boiling water reactor units at its Kashiwazaki Kariwa station in Niigita Prefecture, western Japan.
Jaif said examinations at the facility are “generally in their final stages”.
There remain, however, a number of points of contention that need to be resolved including issues related to an emergency response area in the main anti-earthquake building and an emergency response area within the Unit-5 reactor building.
Japan’s Kyodo news agency said recently that Tepco, has been trying to reactivate the Kashiwazaki Kariwa plant, the world’s largest by generation capacity, to generate “much-needed revenue” to offset rising costs and redress claims stemming from the 2011 accident.
