Loss of public confidence in nuclear energy may lead to decommissioning of sister plant.The govenrment is thinking of decommissioning the Fukushima No. 2 nuclear power plant in deference to those who have taken the brunt of the ongoing nuclear crisis, a government source said Saturday.
Fukushima No. 2, which is situated on the Pacific coast about 10 km south of its crippled sister facility, Fukushima No. 1, successfully completed a cold shutdown after being hit by the March 11 quake and tsunami, which temporarily disabled its cooling systems.
Because plant manager Tokyo Electric Power Co. faced a severe power shortage in the Kanto region after the disaster, attention is focusing on whether the utility will attempt to restart the four-reactor No. 2 power station.
While the final decision rests with the utility, the government has decided to take full account of the feelings of local Fukushima residents, who were forced to evacuate en masse as radiation began leaking from the No. 1 complex, the source said.
The decision on whether to restart the No. 2 plant will be put off until the No. 1 power plant is stabilized, according to the source. Tepco said last month it would take at least six to nine months to stabilize the damaged No. 1 complex.
Discussions on the matter could eventually evolve into the possibility of decommissioning No. 2's reactors or keeping them "suspended" for an extended period of time, given the deep loss of public trust in nuclear energy since the disaster at the No. 1 plant. Read More
