The owners of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Japan have applied to restart its construction in accordance with post-Fukushima safety regulations. Tokyo Electric Power Co., meanwhile, hired a new director this week.
Recent news related to the TEPCO plant severely damaged following Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami includes:
Fuel Reprocessing Plant Applies to Restart
A company owned by Japanese nuclear utilities has asked the government to inspect a fuel reprocessing plant under construction in Aomori Prefecture. Japan Nuclear Fuel originally planned to finish the plant in October, Jiji Press reported, but delayed it for a year as Japanese regulators drew up safety rules finalized last month for fuel cycle facilities. Inspections are expected to take at least six months. The plant's design has been modified to include seismic reinforcements, waterproof doors, water discharge systems and other safety enhancements.
TEPCO Hires New Chairman, Explores Expansion
On Tuesday, TEPCO announced that Fumio Sudo has been elected company chairman. According to a press release, Sudo will replace Kazuhiko Shimokobe at the end of March. The Kyodo news agency reported that Sudo, 72, is a former president of steel maker JFE Holdings and previously served as an outside director on TEPCO's board. The majority-government-owned company is in the process of writing a new business plan to boost earnings, in part to pay for the cleanup at Fukushima. The Mainichi Daily News reported Thursday that the plan includes a framework to sell power outside TEPCO's service area under a new brand name. The utility aims to begin marketing to large businesses by the end of this year. TEPCO eventually plans to expand into new residential markets and will also consider building thermal power plants in areas where it doesn't currently do business. The Mainichi noted that any expansion will be affected by the ability to restart idled TEPCO reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa and will also be challenged by the utility's current status as the second most expensive major power provider in the country.