Japan Utilities Apply to Regulator for Atomic Plant Restarts

Kansai Electric Power Co. (9503) and three other regional utilities applied to Japan’s nuclear regulator for safety checks, a step toward restarting reactors idled after the Fukushima atomic disaster in March 2011.

The applications filed today by Kansai Electric, Shikoku Electric Power Co. (9507), Hokkaido Electric Power Co. (9509) and Kyushu Electric Power Co. (9508) seek the Nuclear Regulation Authority’s clearance to operate 10 reactors with a total installed capacity of 8.84 gigawatts.

The applications cover 19 percent of the total capacity of Japan’s fleet of 50 functioning nuclear plants and represent enough power to supply 2.9 million Japanese households, according to calculations by Bloomberg.

All but two of Japan’s reactors are idled for safety assessments after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused meltdowns and radiation leaks at Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501)’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant. The NRA was set up after the disaster to independently review Japan’s nuclear power.

Tokyo Electric, Japan’s biggest utility, hasn’t made a decision on when to turn in an application to restart reactors at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata prefecture, 220 kilometers (137 miles) northwest of Tokyo, Hiroshi Itagaki, a spokesman for the company better known as Tepco, said today by phone.

Tepco President Naomi Hirose said last week that the company would seek permission to start two reactors at the plant as soon as possible. The utility, which had a 685.3 billion yen ($6.8 billion) loss last fiscal year, said in May 2012 that it would return to profit this year if reactors at the plant are restarted.
Safety Checks

Kansai Electric, the nation’s second-biggest regional utility, filed to restart the No. 3 and No. 4 units at its Takahama facility, according to a statement on its website. The company will also seek the regulators’ endorsement for the No. 3 and No. 4 units at its Ohi plant, which had been given government approval to operate before the NRA was formed.

Hokkaido Electric filed for unit Nos. 1-3 at its Tomari plant, according to spokesman Hisatoshi Kibayashi. Shikoku Electric filed for the No. 3 unit at its Ikata plant, the company said on its website. Kyushu Electric filed for unit Nos. 1 and 2 at its Sendai plant and will file for unit Nos. 3 and 4 at its Genkai plant on July 12, spokeswoman Naoko Iguchi said.

The following table includes data on reactor types, original reactor start dates, current state of operations and status of safety-check applications to the NRA. Boiling water reactors (BWR), including advanced boiling water reactors (ABWR), must install filtration vents before restarting. Pressurized water reactors (PWR) are required to install the vents within five years after resuming operations.

COMPANY
UNIT  CAPACITY  REACTOR   UNIT       OPERATING STATUS; SAFETY
TYPE      START      CHECK APPLICATION STATUS
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Hokkaido Electric Power Co.
Tomari
No. 1   579      PWR    June 1989    Idled; Applied July 8, 2013
No. 2   579      PWR    Apr. 1991    Idled; Applied July 8, 2013
No. 3   912      PWR    Dec. 2009    Idled; Applied July 8, 2013

Tohoku Electric Power Co.
Onagawa
No. 1   524      BWR    June 1984    Idled
No. 2   825      BWR    July 1995    Idled
No. 3   825      BWR    Jan. 2002    Idled
Higashidori
No. 1   1,100    BWR    Dec. 2005    Idled

Tokyo Electric Power Co.
Fukushima Dai-Ichi
No. 5     784    BWR    April 1978   Idled
No. 6   1,100    BWR    Oct. 1979    Idled
Fukushima Dai-Ni
No. 1   1,100    BWR    April 1982   Idled
No. 2   1,100    BWR    Feb. 1984    Idled
No. 3   1,100    BWR    June 1985    Idled
No. 4   1,100    BWR    Aug. 1987    Idled
Kashiwazaki Kariwa
No. 1   1,100    BWR    Sept. 1985   Idled
No. 2   1,100    BWR    Sept. 1990   Idled
No. 3   1,100    BWR    Aug. 1993    Idled
No. 4   1,100    BWR    Aug. 1994    Idled
No. 5   1,100    BWR    Apr. 1990    Idled
No. 6   1,356    ABWR   Nov. 1996    Idled
No. 7   1,356    ABWR   July 1997    Idled

Chubu Electric Power Co.
Hamaoka
No. 3   1,100    BWR    Aug. 1987    Idled
No. 4   1,137    BWR    Sept. 1993   Idled
No. 5   1,380    ABWR   Jan. 2005    Idled

Hokuriku Electric Power Co.
Shika
No. 1    540     BWR    July 1993    Idled
No. 2    1,206   ABWR   March 2006   Idled

Kansai Electric Power Co.
Mihama
No. 1    340     PWR    Nov. 1970    Idled
No. 2    500     PWR    July 1972    Idled
No. 3    826     PWR    Dec. 1976    Idled

Ohi
No. 1    1,175   PWR    March 1979   Idled
No. 2    1,175   PWR    Dec. 1979    Idled
No. 3    1,180   PWR    Dec. 1991    Operating under previous
approval process; Applied
to NRA July 8, 2013
No. 4    1,180   PWR    Feb. 1993    Operating under previous
approval process; Applied
to NRA July 8, 2013

Takahama
No. 1    826     PWR    Nov. 1974    Idled
No. 2    826     PWR    Nov. 1975    Idled
No. 3    870     PWR    Jan. 1985    Idled; Applied July 8, 2013
No. 4    870     PWR    June 1985    Idled; Applied July 8, 2013

Chugoku Electric Power Co.
Shimane
No. 1    460     BWR    March 1974   Idled
No. 2    820     BWR    Feb. 1989    Idled

Shikoku Electric Power Co.
Ikata
No. 1    566     PWR    Sept. 1977   Idled
No. 2    566     PWR    March 1982   Idled
No. 3    890     PWR    Dec. 1994    Idled; Applied July 8, 2013

Kyushu Electric Power Co.
Genkai
No. 1    559     PWR    Oct. 1975    Idled
No. 2    559     PWR    March 1981   Idled
No. 3    1,180   PWR    March 1994   Idled; To apply
July 12, 2013
No. 4    1,180   PWR    July 1997    Idled; To apply
July 12, 2013
Sendai
No. 1    890     PWR    July 1984    Idled; Applied July 8, 2013
No. 2    890     PWR    Nov. 1985    Idled; Applied July 8, 2013

Japan Atomic Power Co.
Tsuruga
No. 1    357     BWR    March 1970   Idled
No. 2    1,160   BWR    Feb. 1987    Idled

Tokai Dai-Ni
No. 1    1,100   BWR    Nov. 1978    Idled
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Sources: Federation of Electric Power Cos. of Japan; Company Statements

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