TOKYO — Japanese nuclear operators applied Monday to restart reactors under rules drawn up after the Fukushima disaster, but early approval is unlikely as a more independent regulator strives to show a skeptical public it is serious about safety.
The governing Liberal Democratic Party of Japan and the utilities are eager to get reactors running again, with the reining in of soaring fuel costs a key part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic plan.
But the Liberal Democrats must tread carefully to avoid compromising the independence of the new regulator, which is struggling to build credibility with a public whose faith in nuclear power was shaken after meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power’s Fukushima Daiichi plant.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority has said it will take at least six months to review nuclear plants, after which the consent of communities that are host to reactors is needed.
All but two of Japan’s 50 reactors have been closed in the wake of the disaster in March 2011, which forced 160,000 people from their homes, many of whom are unlikely to be able to return for decades.
Nuclear power accounted for about a third of Japan’s electricity supply before the Fukushima catastrophe, the worst nuclear crisis since the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine in 1986.
The disaster, caused by an earthquake and tsunami that knocked out power and cooling functions at the Fukushima plant, highlighted lax oversight of the powerful energy companies.
Polls show that a majority of Japanese want to end reliance on atomic power and are opposed to restarting the plants. But the Liberal Democrats argue that nuclear energy will cut fuel costs that have pushed the country into a record trade deficit and will help return unprofitable utilities to profit.
Hokkaido Electric Power, Kansai Electric Power, Shikoku Electric Power and Kyushu Electric Power applied to get 10 reactors restarted, the regulator said.
Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, said Thursday that elevating safety culture to international standards would “take a long time.”
The regulator has said that its review of Japan’s nuclear fleet may take more than three years.
The difficulty the energy companies face in getting approvals was highlighted as Tokyo Electric held back from applying to get units started at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility after the local authorities rebuffed the company’s plans.
The equipment improvements the reactors need to comply with the new rules could cost the industry as much as $12 billion, according to one estimate.
About 80 Nuclear Regulation Authority staff members have been divided into three groups for the safety checks, with another group overseeing earthquake resistance.
Japan is set to be without nuclear power again in September, for the first time since June 2012, as its only active reactors, Kansai Electric’s Ohi No. 3 and No. 4 units, are scheduled to enter planned maintenance shutdowns.
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