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Tepco plans to move spent nuclear fuel from Fukushima to Mutsu facility
Tepco plans to move spent nuclear fuel from Fukushima to Mutsu facility

Japan Times

time08-07-2025

  • Business
  • Japan Times

Tepco plans to move spent nuclear fuel from Fukushima to Mutsu facility

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) suggested Monday that it plans to transfer spent nuclear fuel from its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant to an interim storage facility in the city of Mutsu in Aomori Prefecture. The plan was included in a medium- to long-term program for the facility, presented to Aomori Gov. Soichiro Miyashita by Tepco President Tomoaki Kobayakawa at a meeting in the Aomori Prefectural Government office the same day. Spent nuclear fuel stored at the plant's No. 5 and No. 6 reactors, a joint storage pool and the Fukushima No. 2 plant at the time of the March 2011 nuclear meltdown at the No. 1 plant is set to be transferred to the Mutsu facility. "As a result of the inspections and technical assessments conducted after the accident, it is technically feasible to carry out the intermediate storage and reprocessing" of the spent nuclear fuel, Kobayakawa said at the meeting, seeking Miyashita's understanding. The governor told reporters after the meeting that the plan should be "on the premise that safety is confirmed in a thorough screening by the Secretariat of the Nuclear Regulation Authority." Mutsu Mayor Tomoya Yamamoto said that he is opposed to accepting spent fuel that is not deemed safe. Tepco also said it will conduct a technical consideration of whether nuclear fuel stored in the spent fuel pools of the Fukushima No. 1 plant's No. 1 to No. 4 reactors can also undergo intermediate storage and reprocessing. The interim facility will store spent fuel from nuclear plants operated by Tepco and Japan Atomic Power for up to 50 years. It is the only facility in Japan outside of nuclear plant sites that uses a dry storage method in which spent fuel is stored in metal casks and chilled with natural air. It began operations last November, and the Aomori prefectural and Mutsu city governments had been urging Tepco to present a program for the facility swiftly.

China to resume some Japanese seafood imports after ban
China to resume some Japanese seafood imports after ban

The Star

time01-07-2025

  • Business
  • The Star

China to resume some Japanese seafood imports after ban

The government has lifted a ban on seafood imports from most regions of Japan, partially mending a years-long dispute over Tokyo's handling of nuclear wastewater. China and Japan are key trading partners, but increased friction over territorial rivalries and military spending has frayed ties in recent years. Japan began gradually releasing treated wastewater from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean in 2023. The move was backed by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the plant operator Tepco says all radioactive elements have been filtered out except for tritium, levels of which are within safe limits. But it drew sharp criticism from Beijing, which banned imports of Japanese seafood as a result. Russia later followed suit. Samples from long-term monitoring of nuclear-contaminated water from Fukushima had 'not shown abnormalities', China's General Administration of Customs said in a statement on Sunday. As a result, China 'decided to conditionally resume' seafood imports from Japan, with the exception of imports from 10 of the country's 47 prefectures, including Fukushima and Tokyo, which remain banned. The Japanese government received the decision 'positively', Kazuhiko Aoki, deputy chief Cabinet secretary, told reporters in Tokyo. But Japan 'will strongly demand the Chinese side lift remaining import regulations on seafood from 10 prefectures', he added. Japanese Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also called China's move 'a major milestone'. Production companies that had suspended trade must reapply for registration in China and would be 'strictly' supervised, Beijing's customs administration said on Sunday. In 2011, a huge earthquake triggered a deadly tsunami that swamped the Fukushima nuclear facility and pushed three of its six reactors into meltdown. — AFP

China partially lifts ban on Japanese seafood after Fukushima wastewater row
China partially lifts ban on Japanese seafood after Fukushima wastewater row

The Independent

time01-07-2025

  • Business
  • The Independent

China partially lifts ban on Japanese seafood after Fukushima wastewater row

China partially lifted a ban on seafood imports from Japan after nearly two years over Tokyo 's release of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The move eases tensions between the two countries, though seafood from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima and Tokyo, remains barred. China's General Administration of Customs said in a statement that long-term international and Chinese monitoring of discharged wastewater had 'not shown abnormalities', prompting the decision to resume imports from most Japanese regions. Exporters will now require certificates from the Japanese government confirming inspections for radioactive materials. The ban was first imposed in August 2023 after Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) began releasing treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. The discharge was backed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which said radioactive elements had been filtered out except tritium, a substance that remains within internationally accepted safety levels. Japan welcomed the partial reopening of the seafood trade, with agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi calling it 'a major milestone'. Deputy chief cabinet secretary, Kazuhiko Aoki, told reporters Tokyo would 'strongly demand the Chinese side lift remaining import regulations on seafood from 10 prefectures', according to AFP news agency. China's seafood ban had become a symbol of frayed relations, exacerbated by historical grievances and rising regional tensions. Beijing has long criticised Japan's wartime record and accused Tokyo of failing to sufficiently address its past. The two countries remain key trading partners despite disputes over maritime territory and military spending. Beijing's customs authority said production companies must now reapply for registration in China and would be strictly supervised to ensure compliance with safety standards. The partial lifting of the ban follows China's statement last year that it would 'gradually resume' imports once monitoring confirmed no safety risks. The development could help stabilise seafood markets, which were disrupted after China and later Russia suspended imports of Japanese marine products in response to the Fukushima wastewater release.

Niigata holds first public hearing on nuclear reactor restart plan
Niigata holds first public hearing on nuclear reactor restart plan

Japan Times

time30-06-2025

  • Business
  • Japan Times

Niigata holds first public hearing on nuclear reactor restart plan

Niigata Prefecture has held the first public hearing, attended by residents, on the advisability of restarting reactors at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. Sixteen residents of the two municipalities hosting the plant, the city of Kashiwazaki and the village of Kariwa, attended the session held Sunday. Chosen by open application or through recommendations from relevant organizations, the participants shared their opinions online for some 10 minutes each. Only the consent of local communities is now required for the reactor restart. The plant's No. 6 and No. 7 reactors have already passed safety screenings by the Nuclear Regulation Authority and are fully loaded with nuclear fuel. An emergency evacuation plan has also been approved. Niigata Gov. Hideyo Hanazumi plans to hold four more such hearings by the end of August as a basis for deciding whether to approve the restart. Mixed views were shown in Sunday's session. A man in his 40s backed the restart, saying, "Supporting the economy of the capital area (of Tokyo and its vicinity) with electricity generated by the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant will directly lead to galvanizing the economy of Niigata." Another man in the same age group said, "I think many residents would approve (the restart) if Niigata is added to Tepco's service area and cheaper electricity is supplied to Kashiwazaki and Kariwa from the nuclear power plant." The prefecture currently receives electricity from Tohoku Electric Power. Meanwhile, a man in his 70s said, "It would be preposterous to bring the reactors back online before an evacuation route is built." A man in his 40s told reporters after the session that the public hearing was "very good because there had not been many opportunities for supporters of the restart to express their views." Still, a woman in her 70s who opposes the restart said, "Given the diversity of opinions, I'm skeptical that a consensus can be reached through such public hearings."

Tepco changes Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear reactor restart plan
Tepco changes Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear reactor restart plan

Japan Times

time26-06-2025

  • Business
  • Japan Times

Tepco changes Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear reactor restart plan

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) has changed the schedule for restarting reactors at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture, sources said Wednesday. Tepco decided to put the No. 6 reactor back online ahead of the No. 7 unit, which is ready to be restarted, however, Takeyuki Inagaki, head of the plant, told a news conference in the Niigata village of Kariwa. "It's difficult to relaunch the two reactors at the same time," he said. "As the person in charge of ensuring the safety of the nuclear plant, I find it necessary to concentrate on the No. 6 reactor." Fully loaded with nuclear fuel last year, the No. 7 reactor is waiting to return to operation. However, its early restart is unlikely as the deadline for the construction of an on-site antiterrorism facility is coming in October and as there is no prospect for the restart without the facility to win local consent. Now it is widely believed that Tepco cannot reactivate the reactor until August 2029, when the antiterror measure is scheduled to be in place. On the other hand, the No. 6 unit, where fuel loading was completed Saturday, is expected to be technically ready for its restart in early August after safety checks. The company now aims to turn on the reactor soon because it is not required to build a similar on-site security facility until September 2029. Regarding local consent, the prefectural government will hold public hearings by the end of August. Niigata Gov. Hideyo Hanazumi will unlikely decide before autumn whether to give the nod to the restart of a Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactor, people familiar with the matter said.

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