Japan and their Nuclear Restart

Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) / Nuclear Power - Economics, Design, & Industry

Date posted: 10/21/15

William Freebairn reports that the Japanese fleet of 43 nuclear reactors, with a total installed capacity of about 42,000 MW, has been largely idled since September 2013, when the country adopted stricter nuclear safety requirements in the wake of the Fukushima tsunamis that damaged a few power plants along the coast of Japan. Reactors receive a safety review approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority, secure the go-ahead from local towns and prefectures, and get final NRA approval of preoperational tests before it can load nuclear fuel and begin operations. Twenty-four of the 43 reactors have applied to NRA for safety review; it is unclear how many of the remaining units will apply in the future. In addition, JapanElectric Power Development Co. has applied for NRA safety review of its Ohma nuclear unit, which is under construction and could come online by the end of 2021.