JAPAN NEWS


 

Kansai Electric Power Co. said Tuesday it will conduct topographical and geological surveys in the town of Mihama in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, as part of its plan to build a new nuclear reactor at its Mihama power plant.

If the results support the construction, the company is expected to apply for approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority to move forward with the project.

This is the first concrete move toward building a new reactor in Japan since the March 2011 massive earthquake and tsunami mainly in the Tohoku northeastern region, which led to one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

“We will explain the outline of the surveys to the people of Mihama and begin the surveys swiftly,” Kansai Electric President Nozomu Mori told a press conference in the western city of Osaka. “We will not make a decision (on the construction) based solely on the results (of the surveys).”

Kansai Electric aims to install a next-generation nuclear reactor, such as an innovative light-water reactor, at the site. In making its decision, however, the company believes it must comprehensively assess the development status of new reactor models and the business environment in terms of making investments, among other factors.

At the Mihama plant, the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors are set to be decommissioned, while the No. 3 unit, which is currently in operation, will mark its 50th year of operation next year.

In 2010, Kansai Electric announced plans to set up a new reactor in or near the Mihama plant site, but the project was shelved following the 2011 disaster.

Japan promotes the maximum utilization of nuclear power plants under its basic energy plan, approved at a cabinet meeting in February. As part of the plan, the government aims to develop and build next-generation reactors that are considered safer than conventional types.

Subsequently, Kansai Electric, in its fiscal 2025 business scheme announced in April, said it will work on improving its business environment with a view to replacing its nuclear reactors.